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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2014

Registration No. 333-193235

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

TRANSENTERIX, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		11-2962080
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

635 Davis Drive, Suite 300

Morrisville, NC 27560

(919) 765-8400

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Joseph P. Slattery

EVP and Chief Financial Officer

635 Davis Drive, Suite 300

Morrisville, NC 27560

(919) 765-8400

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

With a copy to:

Mary J. Mullany, Esquire

Ballard Spahr LLP

1735 Market Street, 51^st Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 864-8631

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  x

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this form is a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ¨

If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

 

Large Accelerated Filer		¨		Accelerated Filer		¨
Non-Accelerated Filer		¨		Smaller Reporting Company		x

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Securities to be Registered		Amount to be Registered(1)(2)		Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Security(2)		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(3)		Amount of Registration Fee
Common stock, par value $0.001 per share		—		—		—		—
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share		—		—		—		—
Debt securities		—		—		—		—
Warrants		—		—		—		—
Units		—		—		—		—
TOTAL		—		—		$100,000,000		$12,880.00(4)

(1)

There are being registered hereunder such indeterminate number of securities of TransEnterix, Inc. as shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $100,000,000. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, the securities registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of securities as may be issuable with respect to the securities being registered hereunder as a result of stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(2)	Not specified pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3. The proposed maximum offering price per share will be determined from time to time by the Registrant in connection with, and at the time of, the issuance of the securities.

(3)	Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee required pursuant to Rule 457(o) thereof, which permits the registration fee to be calculated on the basis of the maximum aggregate offering price of all securities listed.

(4)	Previously paid.

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.

 

 

 

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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

Subject to Completion, Dated March 7, 2014

PROSPECTUS

 

$100,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Debt Securities

Units

 

 

We may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, up to $100,000,000 of any combination of common stock, preferred stock, warrants and debt securities, either individually or units consisting of any two or more of such securities. We may also offer securities upon the exercise of warrants.

Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide the specific terms of the securities offered in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplements will also describe the specific manner in which we will offer these securities and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.

The securities may be sold on a delayed or continuous basis directly by us, through dealers, agents or underwriters designated from time to time, or through any combination of these methods. If any dealers, agents or underwriters are involved in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, we will disclose their names and the nature of our arrangements with them in any prospectus supplement. The net proceeds we expect to receive from any such sale will also be included in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “TRXC.” On March 5, 2014, the closing price of our common stock was $2.02 per share.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “RISK FACTORS” on page 7.

 

 

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement for the securities being sold.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this Prospectus is                     .

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY			3
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS			6
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			6
RISK FACTORS			7
USE OF PROCEEDS			32
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			33
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK			36
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES			38
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS			44
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS			45
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES			45
LEGAL MATTERS			46
EXPERTS			46
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE			46
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			47

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement (including in any documents incorporated by reference herein or therein). We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any different information. We are offering to sell our securities, and seeking offers to buy, only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in the Company involves a significant level of risk. Investors should carefully consider the risk factors described below together with the other information included in this prospectus. If any of the risks described below occurs, or if other risks not identified below occur, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to our Business

We have a history of operating losses, and we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability. In addition, we may be unable to continue as a going concern.

We are a medical device company with a limited operating history. We are not profitable and have incurred losses since our inception. Substantial doubt exists about our ability to continue as a going concern as a result of recurring losses and an accumulated deficit. We continue to incur research and development and general and administrative expenses related to our operations. Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2013 was $28.4 million, and our accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2013 was $93.3 million.

We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and these losses will likely increase as we prepare for clinical trials of our products and continue to commercialize our cleared or approved products. If our products fail in clinical trials or do not gain regulatory clearance or approval, or if our products do not achieve market acceptance, we may never become profitable. Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods. Absent a significant increase in revenue or additional equity or debt financing, we may not be able to sustain our ability to continue as a going concern. On January 8, 2014, we filed this prospectus as part of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 to register $100,000,000 of our securities for sale from time to time. Once such Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, we do anticipate proceeding with offerings of our securities in accordance with the shelf registration statement requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in obtaining such additional financing on terms acceptable to the Company or at all.

We will require substantial additional funding, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.

The net proceeds of recent financings, including the Private Placement, will not be sufficient to support clinical and pre-clinical development of our products and product candidates and provide us with the necessary resources to commercialize these products and product candidates. While we are currently focused on our SurgiBot System product, we intend to advance multiple additional products through clinical and pre-clinical development in the future. We will likely need to raise substantial additional capital in order to continue our operations and achieve our business’ objectives.

Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

 

•

the costs associated with the integration of the respective businesses and operations of SafeStitch and TransEnterix Surgical;

 

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the costs associated with establishing a sales force and commercialization capabilities;

 

•

the costs associated with the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities;

 

•

our need to expand our research and development activities;

 

•

the rate of progress and cost of our clinical trials;

 

•

the costs of acquiring, licensing or investing in businesses, products and technologies;

 

•

the costs and timing of seeking and obtaining FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory clearances and approvals;

 

•

the economic and other terms and timing of our existing licensing arrangement and any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter in the future;

 

•

our need and ability to hire additional management, scientific, medical and sales and marketing personnel;

 

•

the effect of competing technological and market developments;

 

•

our need to implement additional internal systems and infrastructure, including financial and reporting systems; and

 

•

our ability to maintain, expand and defend the scope of our intellectual property portfolio.

Until we generate a sufficient amount of product revenue to finance our cash requirements, which may never occur, we expect to finance future cash needs primarily through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or strategic collaborations. We do not know whether additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are not able to secure additional funding when needed, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more of our clinical trials or research and development programs. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution; and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants that limit our operations. To the extent that we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our products or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.

 

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We may fail to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of the business combination of SafeStitch and TransEnterix Surgical, which may adversely affect the value of our common stock.

The success of the integration of TransEnterix Surgical will depend, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings from combining the respective business and operations of SafeStitch and TransEnterix Surgical. To realize these anticipated benefits and cost savings, we must successfully combine the acquired business with our legacy operations and integrate our respective operations, technologies and personnel, which is particularly challenging given the geographic and cultural differences between the personnel and facilities based in Florida and North Carolina and the lack of experience we have in combining businesses. If we are not able to achieve these objectives within the anticipated time frame or at all, the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the acquisition may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected, and the value of our common stock may be adversely affected. In addition, the overall integration of the businesses is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process that, without proper planning and effective and timely implementation, could significantly disrupt our operations. Further, it is possible that the integration process could adversely affect our ability to maintain our research and development operations, result in the loss of key employees and other senior management, or to otherwise achieve the anticipated benefits of the acquisition.

Risks in integrating the respective operations of SafeStitch and TransEnterix Surgical in order to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition include, among other factors:

 

•

failure to effectively coordinate research and development efforts and capabilities effectively;

 

•

failure to adequately communicate our product capabilities and expected product roadmap;

 

•

failure to compete effectively against companies already serving the broader market opportunities expected to be available to us and our potential expanded product offerings;

 

•

coordinating research and development activities to enhance the introduction of new devices and platforms acquired in the acquisition;

 

•

failure to successfully integrate and harmonize financial reporting and information technology systems of the two companies;

 

•

integrating a senior management team as well as directors from both companies into our Board of Directors;

 

•

retaining and integrating key employees from TransEnterix Surgical and SafeStitch;

 

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•

managing effectively the diversion of management’s attention from business matters to integration issues;

 

•

retaining TransEnterix Surgical’s relationships with partners and integrating partnering efforts so that new partners acquired can easily do business with us; and

 

•

transitioning all facilities to a common information technology environment.

In addition, the actual integration may result in additional and unforeseen expenses, and the anticipated benefits of the integration plan may not be realized. Actual cost synergies, if achieved at all, may be lower than we expect and may take longer to achieve than anticipated. If we are not able to adequately address these challenges, we may be unable to successfully integrate the respective operations of SafeStitch and TransEnterix Surgical, or to realize the anticipated benefits of the integration. The anticipated benefits and synergies assume a successful integration and are based on projections, which are inherently uncertain, and other assumptions. Even if integration is successful, anticipated benefits and synergies may not be achieved. An inability to realize the full extent of, or any of, the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, as well as any delays encountered in the integration process, could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations, which may affect the value of the shares of our common stock.

We have incurred significant costs related to the Merger and expect to incur additional costs as integration plans continue. If we are unable to offset the costs of the acquisition through realization of efficiencies, our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations will suffer.

We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, various non-recurring costs associated with combining the operations of TransEnterix Surgical and SafeStitch, including, but not limited to, legal, accounting and financial advisory fees. The substantial majority of non-recurring expenses have been composed of these costs and expenses related to the execution of the acquisition, facilities and systems consolidation costs and employment-related costs. We have also incurred fees and costs related to formulating and implementing integration plans. Additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration of the businesses. Although we expect that the elimination of duplicative costs, as well as the realization of other efficiencies related to the integration of the businesses, should allow us to offset incremental acquisition and acquisition-related costs over time, this net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all.

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness, which may adversely affect our financial resources and our ability to operate our business.

In connection with the Merger we became a party to, and jointly and severally liable for, $9.4 million of outstanding debt of TransEnterix Surgical, and the associated obligations owed by TransEnterix Surgical under a Loan and Security Agreement, dated January 17, 2012, among TransEnterix Surgical, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Oxford Finance LLC (Oxford) (the SVB-Oxford LSA). The Second and Third Amendment to the SVB-Oxford LSA, dated as of September 3, 2013 and October 31, 2013, respectively, amend the SVB-Oxford LSA among the

 

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lenders and the Company (as so amended, the Amended Loan Agreement). The Amended Loan Agreement evidences a term loan, which will mature on January 1, 2016 (the Term Loan). Our resulting substantial level of indebtedness and other financial obligations increase the possibility that we may be unable to pay, when due, the principal of, interest on, or other amounts due in respect of, our indebtedness.

Further, under the Amended Loan Agreement, we are subject to certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, may limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital requirements, product development activities, debt service requirements, and general corporate or other purposes. These restrictive covenants include, without limitation, restrictions on our ability to: (1) change the nature of our business; (2) incur additional indebtedness; (3) incur liens; (4) make certain investments; (5) make certain dispositions of assets; (6) merge, dissolve, consolidate or sell all or substantially all of our assets; and (7) enter into transactions with affiliates.

If we breach any of these restrictive covenants or are unable to pay our indebtedness under the Amended Loan Agreement when due, this could result in a default under the Amended Loan Agreement. In such event, SVB and/or Oxford, as the case may be, may elect (after the expiration of any applicable notice or grace periods) to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other amounts payable under the Amended Loan Agreement, to be immediately due and payable. Any such occurrence would have an immediate and materially adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Some of our technologies are in an early stage of development and not yet proven. Further, our related product research and development activities may not lead to our technologies and products being commercially viable.

We are engaged in the research and development of minimally invasive surgical devices, robotic surgical devices, and intralumenal medical devices that manipulate tissues for the treatment of certain intraperitoneal abnormalities. The effectiveness of our technologies is not well known in, or may not be accepted generally by, the clinical medical community. Further, some of our products are still in early stages of development and are prone to the risks of failure inherent in medical device product development. In particular, any of our products in clinical trials may fail to show desired efficacy and safety traits despite early promising results. A number of companies in the medical device industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after obtaining promising results at earlier points. The occurrence of any such events would have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our product research and development activities may not result in commercially viable products.

Some of our products are still in early stages of development and are prone to the risks of failure inherent in medical device product development. For any Class III devices, we will likely be required to undertake significant clinical trials to demonstrate to the FDA that our devices are safe and effective for their intended uses. We may also be required to undertake clinical trials by non-U.S. regulatory agencies. Clinical trials are expensive and uncertain processes that may take years to complete. Failure can occur at any point in the process, and early positive results do not ensure that the entire clinical trial will be successful.

 

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The results of previous clinical experience with our devices and devices similar to those that we are developing may not be indicative of future results, and our current and planned clinical trials may not satisfy the requirements of the FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities.

Positive results from limited in vivo and ex vivo animal trials and other early development work we have conducted or early clinical experience with the test articles or with similar devices should not be relied upon as evidence that later-stage or large-scale clinical trials will succeed. We will be required to demonstrate with substantial evidence through well-controlled clinical trials that our Class III products are safe and effective for their intended uses. Generally, clinical data is not required to support a 510(k) application, but if applicable for our Class II products, we may require clinical data to demonstrate that the devices are substantially equivalent in terms of safety and effectiveness to devices that are already marketed under Section 510(k).

Further, our products may not be cleared or approved, as the case may be, even if the clinical data are satisfactory and support, in our view, clearance or approval. The FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may disagree with our trial design and our interpretation of the clinical data. Any of these regulatory authorities may change requirements for the clearance or approval of a product even after reviewing and providing comment on a protocol for a pivotal clinical trial that has the potential to result in FDA approval. These regulatory authorities may also clear or approve a product for fewer or more limited uses than we request or, for a Class III device, may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials. In addition, the FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may not approve or clear the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of our products.

We are highly dependent on the success of our products, and we cannot give any assurance that our products will receive regulatory clearance or that any of our products or future products will be successfully commercialized.

We are highly dependent on the success of our products, especially the SurgiBot System. We cannot give any assurance that the FDA will grant regulatory clearance for the SurgiBot System, or will not require the more burdensome PMA submission and approval, nor can we give any assurance that the SurgiBot System or any of our other products will be successfully commercialized, for a number of reasons, including, without limitation, the potential introduction by our competitors of more clinically effective or cost-effective alternatives, or failure in our sales and marketing efforts. Any failure to obtain clearance or approval of our products or to successfully commercialize them would have a material and adverse effect on our business.

 

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If our competitors develop and market products that are more effective, safer or less expensive than our products and future products, our commercial opportunities will be negatively impacted.

The life sciences industry is highly competitive, and we face significant competition from many medical device companies that are researching and marketing products designed to address minimally invasive and robotic assisted surgery. We are currently developing and commercializing medical devices that will compete with other medical devices that currently exist or are being developed. Products we may develop in the future are also likely to face competition from other medical devices and therapies. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, marketing and product development resources than we do. Large medical device companies, in particular, have extensive experience in clinical testing and in obtaining regulatory clearances or approvals for medical devices. These companies also have significantly greater research and marketing capabilities than we do. Some of the medical device companies we expect to compete with include Applied Medical, Covidien, Intuitive Surgical, Johnson & Johnson, Olympus, Stryker, USGI Medical, Endo Gastric Solutions, Inc., ValenTx, Inc., GI Dynamics, Inc., Medigus, Ltd., and a number of minimally invasive surgical device, robotic surgical device manufacturers and providers of products and therapies that are designed to reduce the need for or attractiveness of surgical intervention. In addition, many other universities and private and public research institutions are or may become active in research involving surgical devices for minimally invasive and robotic assisted surgery.

We believe that our ability to successfully compete will depend on, among other things:

 

•

the efficacy, safety and reliability of our products;

 

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the speed at which we develop our products;

 

•

our ability to commercialize and market any of our products that may receive regulatory clearance or approval;

 

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our ability to design and successfully execute appropriate clinical trials;

 

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the timing and scope of regulatory clearances or approvals;

 

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our ability to protect intellectual property rights related to our products;

 

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our ability to have our partners manufacture and sell commercial quantities of any approved products to the market; and

 

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acceptance of future products by physicians and other health care providers.

If our competitors market products that are more effective, safer, easier to use or less expensive than our products or future products, or reach the market sooner than our products, we may not achieve commercial success. In addition, the medical device industry is characterized by rapid technological change. It may be difficult for us to stay abreast of the rapid changes in each technology. If we fail to stay at the forefront of technological change, we may be unable to compete effectively. Technological advances or products developed by our competitors may render our technologies or products obsolete or less competitive.

 

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Our product development activities could be delayed or stopped.

We do not know whether our current product development activities will result in products that meet necessary standards and performance criteria or whether the development will be completed on schedule. Delays could occur based on a number of issues that could arise. For example, should clinical trials be required, the commencement of clinical trials could be substantially delayed or prevented by several factors, including:

 

•

delay or failure to obtain sufficient supplies of the product for our clinical trials;

 

•

limited number of, and competition for, suitable patients that meet the protocol’s inclusion criteria and do not meet any of the exclusion criteria;

 

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limited number of, and competition for, suitable sites to conduct our clinical trials, and delay or failure to obtain FDA approval, if necessary, to commence a clinical trial;

 

•

requirements to provide the medical device required in our clinical trial at cost, which may require significant expenditures that we are unable or unwilling to make;

 

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delay or failure to reach agreement on acceptable clinical trial agreement terms or clinical trial protocols with prospective sites or investigators; and

 

•

delay or failure to obtain IRB approval or renewal to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective or accruing site, respectively.

The completion of our clinical trials could also be substantially delayed or prevented by several factors, including:

 

•

lack of efficacy evidenced during clinical trials;

 

•

slower than expected rates of patient recruitment and enrollment;

 

•

failure of patients to complete the clinical trial;

 

•

unforeseen safety issues;

 

•

termination of our clinical trials by one or more clinical trial sites;

 

•

inability or unwillingness of patients or medical investigators to follow our clinical trial protocols or allocate sufficient resources to complete our clinical trials; and

 

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inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment.

 

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Our clinical trials may be suspended or terminated at any time by us, the FDA, other regulatory authorities or the IRB for any given site. Any failure or significant delay in completing clinical trials for our products could materially harm our financial results and the commercial prospects for our products.

In addition, other issues such as the need to investigate third party patents and potential infringement matters, although not currently an issue, could arise, thereby delaying our development efforts.

The regulatory approval and clearance processes are expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us or our collaboration partners from obtaining approvals or clearances, as the case may be, for the commercialization of some or all of our products.

The product development and design, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, clearance, selling, marketing and distribution of medical devices are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities, which regulations differ from country to country. We are not permitted to market our products in the United States until we receive a clearance letter under the 510(k) process or approval of a PMA from the FDA, depending on the nature of the device.

In the United States, a company generally can obtain permission to distribute a new medical device in one of two ways. The first applies to any device that is substantially equivalent to a device first marketed prior to May 1976, or to another device marketed after that date, but which was substantially equivalent to a pre-May 1976 device. These devices are either Class I or Class II devices. To obtain FDA clearance to distribute the medical device, a company generally must submit a Section 510(k) submission, and receive an FDA order finding substantial equivalence to a predicate device (pre-May 1976 device or post-May 1976 device that was substantially equivalent to a pre-May 1976 device) and permitting commercial distribution of that medical device for its intended use. A 510(k) submission must provide information supporting a claim of substantial equivalence to the predicate device. If clinical data from human experience are required to support the 510(k) submission, these data must be gathered in compliance with investigational device exemption (IDE) regulations for investigations performed in the United States. The 510(k) process is normally used for products of the type that we are developing and propose to market and sell. The FDA review process for premarket notifications submitted pursuant to Section 510(k) takes, on average, about ninety (90) days, but it can take substantially longer if the FDA has concerns regarding the application. It is possible for Section 510(k) clearance procedures to take from six to twenty-four months, depending on the concerns raised by the FDA and the complexity of the device. There is no guarantee that the FDA will “clear” a medical device for marketing, in which case the device cannot be distributed in the United States. There is also no guarantee that the FDA will deem the applicable device subject to the 510(k) process, as opposed to the more time-consuming, resource-intensive and problematic, pre-market approval (PMA) process described below. In 2011, the FDA issued a series of draft guidance documents designed to reform the 510(k) clearance process. Similarly, the Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2012 authorized the FDA to collect user fees for the review of certain premarket submissions received on or after October 1, 2012, including 510(k) submissions. These fees are intended to improve the medical device review process, but the actual impact on the industry is still unknown.

 

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The second, more comprehensive, approval process applies to a new device that is not substantially equivalent to a pre-1976 product or that is to be used in supporting or sustaining life or preventing impairment. These devices are normally Class III devices. For example, most implantable devices are subject to the approval process. Two steps of FDA approval are generally required before a company can market a product in the United States that is subject to approval, as opposed to clearance, as a Class III device. First, a company must comply with IDE regulations in connection with any human clinical investigation of the device. These regulations permit a company to undertake a clinical study of a “non-significant risk” device without formal FDA approval. Prior express FDA approval is required if the device is a significant risk device. Second, the FDA must review the company’s PMA application, which contains, among other things, clinical information acquired under the IDE. Additionally, devices subject to PMA approval may be subject to a panel review to obtain market approval and are required to pass a factory inspection in accordance with the current “good manufacturing practices” standards in order to obtain approval. The FDA will approve the PMA application if it finds there is reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended use. The PMA process takes substantially longer than the 510(k) process, approximately one to two years. However, in some instances the FDA may find that a device is new and not substantially equivalent to a predicate device but is also not a high risk device as is generally the case with Class III PMA devices. In these instances FDA may allow a device to be down classified from Class III to Class I or II. The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA) added the de novo classification option as an alternate pathway to classify novel devices of low to moderate risk that had automatically been placed in Class III after receiving a “not substantially equivalent” (NSE) determination in response to a premarket notification 510(k) submission. Section 513(f)(2) of the FDCA was amended by section 607 of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), on July 9, 2012, to allow a sponsor to submit a de novo classification request to the FDA for novel low to moderate risk devices without first being required to submit a 510(k) application. These types of applications are referred to as “Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation” or “de novo.” In instances where a device is deemed not substantially equivalent to a Class II predicate device, the candidate device may be filed as a de novo application which may lead to delays in regulatory decisions by the FDA. FDA review of a de novo application may lead the FDA to identify the device as either a Class I or II device and worthy of either an exempt or 510(k) regulatory pathway.

While we have already received FDA clearance for the SPIDER System, we continue in discussions with the FDA regarding the appropriate regulatory pathway for our SurgiBot System and our Gastroplasty Device. Obtaining approval of any PMA can be a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process. While the FDA normally reviews a premarket notification in ninety (90) days, there is no guarantee that our future products will qualify for this more expeditious regulatory process, which is reserved for Class I and II devices, nor is there any assurance, even if a device is reviewed under the 510(k) premarket notification process, that the FDA will review it expeditiously or determine that the device is substantially equivalent to a lawfully marketed non-PMA device. In the past the Company has been successful in receiving 510(k) clearance within the 90-day review period, but it can take longer (six to eighteen months) to obtain 510(k) clearance for a Class II device. If the FDA fails to provide clearance for a product candidate, such as the SurgiBot System, then we cannot market the device. In lieu of acting on a premarket notification, the FDA may seek additional information or additional data which would further delay our ability to market the product.

 

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Regulatory approval of a PMA, PMA supplement or clearance pursuant to a 510(k) premarket notification is not guaranteed, and the approval or clearance process, as the case may be, is expensive, uncertain and may, especially in the case of the PMA application, take several years. The FDA also has substantial discretion in the medical device clearance process or approval process. Despite the time and expense exerted, failure can occur at any stage, and we could encounter problems that cause us to repeat or perform additional development, standardized testing, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. The number of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials that will be required for FDA clearance or approval varies depending on the medical device candidate, the disease or condition that the medical device candidate is designed to address, and the regulations applicable to any particular medical device candidate. The FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities can delay, limit or deny clearance or approval of a medical device candidate for many reasons, including:

 

•

a medical device candidate may not be deemed safe or effective, in the case of a PMA application;

 

•

a medical device candidate may not be deemed to be substantially equivalent to a device lawfully marketed either as a grandfathered device or one that was cleared through the 510(k) premarket notification process;

 

•

a medical device candidate may not be deemed to be in conformance with applicable standards and regulations;

 

•

FDA or other regulatory officials may not find the data from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials sufficient;

 

•

the FDA might not approve our processes or facilities or those of any of our third-party manufacturers for our Class III PMA devices;

 

•

other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may not approve our processes or facilities or those of any of our third-party manufacturers, thereby restricting export; or

 

•

the FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may change clearance or approval policies or adopt new regulations.

Even if we obtain regulatory clearances or approvals for our products, the terms thereof and ongoing regulation of our products may limit how we manufacture and market our products, which could materially impair our ability to generate anticipated revenues.

Once regulatory clearance or approval has been granted, the cleared or approved product and its manufacturer are subject to continual review. Any cleared or approved product may be promoted only for its indicated uses. In addition, if the FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities clear or approve any of our products, the labeling, packaging, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising and promotion for the product will be subject to extensive regulatory requirements. We and the manufacturers of our products are also required to comply with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation (QSR), which includes requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance, as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and

 

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documentation as well as other quality system requirements and regulations from non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Moreover, device manufacturers are required to report adverse events by filing Medical Device Reports with the FDA, which are publicly available. Further, regulatory agencies must approve our manufacturing facilities for Class III devices before they can be used to manufacture our products, and all manufacturing facilities are subject to ongoing regulatory inspection. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements of the FDA, either before or after clearance or approval, or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities, or if previously unknown problems with our products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes are discovered, we could be subject to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:

 

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restrictions on the products, manufacturers or manufacturing process;

 

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adverse inspectional observations (Form 483), warning letters, non-warning letters incorporating inspectional observations;

 

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civil or criminal penalties or fines;

 

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injunctions;

 

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product seizures, detentions or import bans;

 

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voluntary or mandatory product recalls and publicity requirements;

 

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suspension or withdrawal of regulatory clearances or approvals;

 

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total or partial suspension of production;

 

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imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements;

 

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refusal to clear or approve pending applications or premarket notifications; and

 

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import and export restrictions.

In addition, the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may change their policies and additional regulations may be enacted that could prevent or delay regulatory clearance or approval of our products. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we would likely not be permitted to market our future products and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.

Current legislation and future legislative or regulatory reform of the health care system may affect our ability to sell our products profitably.

In the United States, there have been, and we expect there to continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory initiatives, at both the federal and state government levels, to change the healthcare system in ways that, if approved, could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. While many of the proposed policy changes require congressional approval to

 

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implement, we cannot be sure that reimbursement payments under governmental and private third-party payor programs to health care providers will remain at levels comparable to present levels or will be sufficient to cover the costs allocable to patients eligible for reimbursement under these programs. Any changes that lower reimbursement rates under Medicare, Medicaid or private payor programs could negatively affect our business.

To the extent that any of our products are deemed to be durable medical equipment (DME), they may be subject to distribution under Medicare’s Competitive Acquisition regulations, which could adversely affect the amount that we can seek from payors. Non-DME devices used in surgical procedures are normally paid directly by the hospital or health care provider and not reimbursed separately by third-party payors. As a result, these types of devices are subject to intense price competition that can place a small manufacturer at a competitive disadvantage as hospitals and health care providers attempt to negotiate lower prices for products such as the ones we develop and sell. Additionally, our business operations and activities may be directly, or indirectly, subject to various federal, state and local healthcare laws, including but not limited to, laws prohibiting kickbacks and false claims.

Most significantly, in March 2010, President Obama signed into law both the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act) and the reconciliation law known as Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (the Reconciliation Act, and, with the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation). The constitutionality of the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation was confirmed on June 28, 2012 by the Supreme Court of the United States. Specifically, the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate included changes regarding the extension of medical benefits to those who currently lack insurance coverage. Thus, the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation will change the existing state of the health care system by expanding coverage through voluntary state Medicaid expansion, attracting previously uninsured persons through the new health care insurance exchanges and by modifying the methodology for reimbursing medical services, drugs and devices. These structural changes could entail modifications to the existing system of third-party payors and government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, or some combination of both, as well as other changes.

Beyond coverage and reimbursement changes, the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation subjects manufacturers of medical devices to an excise tax of 2.3% on certain U.S. sales of medical devices beginning in January 2013. This excise tax will likely increase our expenses in the future.

Further, the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation includes the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which, in conjunction with its implementing regulations, requires manufacturers of certain drugs, biologics, and devices that are reimbursable by Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to report certain payments or “transfers of value” provided to physicians and teaching hospitals and to report ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members during the preceding calendar year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, issued its final rule implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act in February 2013, and required data collection commenced as of August 1, 2013. Manufacturers must report aggregated data for August through December of 2013 to CMS in the first quarter of 2014 and more detailed information regarding the specific payments and transfers of value in the second quarter of 2014. CMS will release the data on a public website by September 30, 2014. The Company is in the process of complying with its obligations

 

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under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. The failure to report appropriate data could subject us to significant financial penalties. Other countries and several states currently have similar laws and more may enact similar legislation.

Regulations under the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation have been, and are expected to continue to be, drafted, released and finalized throughout the next several years. The full impact of the 2010 Health Care Reform Legislation, as well as laws and other reform measures that may be proposed and adopted in the future, remains uncertain, but may continue the downward pressure on medical device pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business operations.

Finally, we are unable to predict what additional legislation or regulation, if any, relating to the health care industry or third-party coverage and reimbursement may be enacted in the future or what effect such legislation or regulation would have on our business. Any cost containment measures or other health care system reforms that are adopted could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to commercialize our existing and future products successfully.

Even if we receive regulatory clearance or approval to market our products, the market may not be receptive to our products, which could undermine our financial viability.

Even if our products obtain regulatory clearance or approval, resulting products may not gain market acceptance among physicians, patients, health care payors and/or the medical community. To date, we have experienced minimal sales of the AMID HFD stapler and SPIDER System and have not made any sales of the SurgiBot System or the Gastroplasty Device. We have decided to focus our efforts on the development of the SurgiBot System and decreased and, in some cases, stopped, commercializing our cleared products. We believe that the degree of market acceptance of a commercialized product will depend on a number of factors, including:

 

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timing of market introduction of competitive products;

 

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safety and efficacy of our products;

 

•

physician training in the use of our products;

 

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prevalence and severity of any side effects;

 

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potential advantages or disadvantages over alternative treatments;

 

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strength of marketing and distribution support; and

 

•

price of our future products, both in absolute terms and relative to alternative treatments.

If applicable, for products such as the Gastroplasty Device, availability of coverage and reimbursement from government and other third-party payors can also impact the acceptance of our product offerings.

 

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If our products fail to achieve market acceptance, we may not be able to generate significant revenue or achieve or sustain profitability.

There is significant uncertainty related to the third-party coverage and reimbursement of newly cleared or approved medical devices. Normally, surgical devices are not directly covered; instead, the procedure using the device is subject to a coverage determination by the insurer. We believe that hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers will be our direct customers for our product candidates, and that our revenue is not dependent upon the receipt of reimbursement codes or reimbursement coverage by payors. However, the commercial success of our existing and future products in both domestic and international markets may depend in part on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, including government payors, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs, managed care organizations and other third-party payors. Government and other third-party payors are increasingly attempting to contain health care costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement for new products and, as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for our existing and future products. These payors may conclude that our products are not as safe or effective as existing devices or that procedures using our devices are not as safe or effective as the existing procedures using other devices. These payors may also conclude that the overall cost of the procedure using one of our devices exceeds the overall cost of the competing procedure using another type of device, and third-party payors may not approve our products for coverage and adequate reimbursement. The failure to obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement for our existing and future products or health care cost containment initiatives that limit or restrict reimbursement for our existing and future products may reduce any future product revenue.

If we fail to attract and retain key management and scientific personnel, we may be unable to successfully develop or commercialize our products.

We will need to effectively manage our managerial, operational, financial, development, marketing and other resources in order to successfully pursue our research, development and commercialization efforts for our existing and future products. Our success depends on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified management and pre-clinical and clinical personnel. The loss of the services of any of our senior management, particularly Todd M. Pope, Richard M. Mueller and Joseph P. Slattery, could delay or prevent the development or commercialization of our products. We do not maintain “key man” insurance policies on the lives of these individuals or the lives of any of our other employees. We employ these individuals on an at-will basis and their employment can be terminated by us or them at any time, for any reason and with or without notice. We will need to hire additional personnel as we continue to expand our research and development activities and build a sales and marketing organization.

We may not be able to attract or retain qualified management and scientific personnel in the future due to the intense competition for qualified personnel among medical device and other businesses. If we are not able to attract and retain the necessary personnel to accomplish our business objectives, we may experience constraints that will impede significantly the achievement of our research and development objectives, our ability to raise additional capital and our ability to implement our business strategy. In particular, if we lose any members of our senior management team, we may not be able to find suitable replacements in a timely fashion or at all and our business may be harmed as a result.

 

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We have not sought an advisory stockholder vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers.

Rule 14a-21 under the Exchange Act requires us to seek a separate stockholder advisory vote at our annual meeting at which directors are elected to approve the compensation of our named executive officers, not less frequently than once every three years (say-on-pay vote), and, at least once every six years, to seek a separate stockholder advisory vote on the frequency with which we will submit advisory say-on-pay votes to our stockholders (say-on-frequency vote). In 2013, the year in which Rule 14a-21 became applicable to smaller reporting companies, we did not submit to our stockholders a say-on-pay vote to approve an advisory resolution regarding our compensation program for our named executive officers, or a say-on-frequency vote. Consequently, the Board of Directors has not considered the outcome of our say-on-pay vote results when determining future compensation policies and pay levels for our named executive officers. At our 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, we will be asking our stockholders to vote on a proposal to approve an advisory resolution regarding our compensation program for our named executive officers, and presenting a separate say-on-frequency vote. Following such annual meeting, the Board will consider the outcome of our say-on-pay vote results when determining future compensation policies and pay levels for our named executive officers, and will report on the results of the say-on-pay vote and the say-on-frequency vote as required by applicable SEC rules. In our Annual Report on Form 10-K, we disclosed that our disclosure controls and procedures did not lead to our identification of the requirement to provide these advisory say-on-pay and say-on-frequency votes, and we adjusted our disclosure controls and procedures processes accordingly.

Because our manufacturing capabilities are limited, we may rely on third parties to manufacture and supply some of our products. An inability to find additional or alternate sources for these products could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

In 2013 we operated manufacturing facilities for production of the SPIDER System and maintained manufacturing facilities for the AMID HFD product. In the future, we may choose to use a third-party manufacturer for our other products. In addition, certain of our SPIDER System product component parts come from third-party suppliers. If these manufacturing partners are unable to produce our products or component parts in the amounts that we require, we may not be able to establish a contract and obtain a sufficient alternative supply from another supplier on a timely basis and in the quantities we require.

Our products require precise, high quality manufacturing. We and our contract manufacturers will be subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA and non-U.S. regulatory authorities to ensure strict compliance with QSR, current “good manufacturing practices” and other applicable government regulations and corresponding standards. If we or our contract manufacturers fail to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards in compliance with QSR, we may experience manufacturing errors resulting in patient injury or death, product recalls or withdrawals, delays or interruptions of production or failures in product testing or delivery, delay or prevention of filing or approval of marketing applications for our products, cost overruns or other problems that could seriously harm our business.

 

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Any performance failure by us or on the part of our contract manufacturers could delay product development or regulatory clearance or approval of our products, or commercialization of our products and future products, depriving us of potential product revenue and resulting in additional losses. In addition, our dependence on any third party for manufacturing could adversely affect our future profit margins. Our ability to replace any then-existing manufacturer may be difficult because the number of potential manufacturers is limited and, in the case of Class III devices, the FDA must approve any replacement manufacturer before manufacturing can begin. It may be difficult or impossible for us to identify and engage a replacement manufacturer on acceptable terms in a timely manner, or at all.

We may become subject to potential product liability claims, and we may be required to pay damages that exceed our insurance coverage.

Our business exposes us to potential product liability claims that are inherent in the design, testing, manufacture, sale and distribution of our products and each of our product candidates that we are seeking to introduce to the market. Surgical medical devices involve significant risks of serious complications, including bleeding, nerve injury, paralysis, infection, and even death. Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could result in the increase of our product liability insurance rates or in our inability to secure coverage in the future on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. In addition, if our product liability insurance proves to be inadequate to pay a damage award, we may have to pay the excess of this award out of our cash reserves, which could significantly harm our financial condition. If longer-term patient results and experience indicate that our products or any component of a product causes tissue damage, motor impairment or other adverse effects, we could be subject to significant liability. A product liability claim, even one without merit, could harm our reputation in the industry, lead to significant legal fees, and result in the diversion of management’s attention from managing our business.

We currently have a limited sales, marketing and distribution organization. If we are unable to develop our sales, marketing and distribution capability on our own or through collaborations with marketing partners, we will not be successful in commercializing our products.

We currently have limited marketing, sales and distribution capabilities, including a limited number of direct sales representatives. We intend to distribute our products through direct sales and independent contractor and distribution agreements with companies possessing established sales and marketing operations in the medical device industry, but there can be no assurance that we will be successful. To the extent that we enter into co-promotion or other arrangements, our product revenue is likely to be lower than if we directly market or sell our products. In addition, any revenue we receive will depend in whole or in part upon the efforts of such third parties, which may not be successful and are generally not within our control. If we are unable to enter into such arrangements on acceptable terms or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our products. If we are not successful in commercializing our existing and future products, either on our own or through collaborations with one or more third parties, our future product revenue will suffer and we may incur significant additional losses.

 

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For our Gastroplasty Device, we rely on our license with Creighton, and any loss of our rights under such license agreement, or failure to properly maintain or enforce the patent applications underlying such license agreement, could materially adversely affect our business prospects for the Gastroplasty Device.

The patents and patent applications in our patent portfolio related to the Gastroplasty Device are not owned by us, but are licensed from Creighton University. Presently, we rely on such licensed technology for our Gastroplasty Device and relied on it in developing the SMART Dilator and bite blocks products and may license additional technology from other third parties in the future. The Creighton Agreement gives us rights for the commercial exploitation of the patents resulting from the patent applications, subject to certain provisions of the license agreement. Failure to comply with these provisions could result in the loss of our rights under the Creighton agreement. Our inability to rely on these patents and patent applications which are the basis of certain aspects of our Gastroplasty Device technology would have an adverse effect on our business.

Further, our success will depend in part on the ability of us, Creighton and other third-party licensors to obtain, maintain and enforce patent protection for our licensed intellectual property and, in particular, those patents to which we have secured exclusive rights. We, Creighton or other third-party licensors may not successfully prosecute the patent applications which are licensed to us, may fail to maintain these patents, may determine not to pursue litigation against other companies that are infringing these patents, or may pursue such litigation less aggressively than necessary to obtain an acceptable outcome from any such litigation. Without protection for the intellectual property we have licensed, other companies might be able to offer substantially identical products for sale, which could materially adversely affect our competitive business position, business prospects and results of operations.

If we or our licensors are unable to obtain and enforce patent protection for our products, our business could be materially harmed.

Our success depends, in part, on our ability to protect proprietary methods and technologies that we develop or license under the patent and other intellectual property laws of the United States and other countries, so that we can prevent others from unlawfully using our inventions and proprietary information. However, we may not hold proprietary rights to some patents required for us to commercialize our proposed products. We have numerous patent applications that are in process. For example, with respect to the SPIDER System and the SurgiBot System, we have two issued patents and we have filed over 30 patent applications in the United States and abroad. To our knowledge, none of the technology we have licensed has been patented in the U.S. Because certain U.S. patent applications are confidential until patents issue, such as applications filed prior to November 29, 2000, or applications filed after such date which will not be filed in foreign countries, third parties may have filed patent applications for technology covered by our pending patent applications without our being aware of those applications, and our patent applications may not have priority over those applications. For this and other reasons, we or our third-party collaborators may be unable to secure desired patent

 

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rights, thereby losing desired exclusivity. If licenses are not available to us on acceptable terms, we will not be able to market the affected products or conduct the desired activities, unless we challenge the validity, enforceability or infringement of the third-party patent or otherwise circumvent the third-party patent.

Our strategy depends on our ability to promptly identify and seek patent protection for our discoveries. In addition, we will rely on third-party collaborators to file patent applications relating to proprietary technology that we develop jointly during certain collaborations. The process of obtaining patent protection is expensive and time-consuming. If our present or future collaborators fail to file and prosecute all necessary and desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner, our business will be adversely affected. Despite our efforts and the efforts of our collaborators to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may be able to develop and use information that we regard as proprietary.

The issuance of a patent provides a presumption, but does not guarantee that it is valid. Any patents we have obtained, or obtain in the future, may be challenged or potentially circumvented. Moreover, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the USPTO) may commence interference proceedings involving our patents or patent applications. Any such challenge to our patents or patent applications would be costly, would require significant time and attention of our management and could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, future court decisions may introduce uncertainty in the enforceability or scope of any patent, including those owned by medical device companies.

Our pending patent applications may not result in issued patents. The patent position of medical device companies, including ours, is generally uncertain and involves complex legal and factual considerations. The standards that the USPTO and its foreign counterparts use to grant patents are not always applied predictably or uniformly and can change. There is also no uniform, worldwide policy regarding the subject matter and scope of claims granted or allowable in medical device patents. Accordingly, we do not know the degree of future protection for our proprietary rights or the breadth of claims that will be allowed in any patents issued to us or to others. The legal systems of certain countries do not favor the aggressive enforcement of patents, and the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Therefore, the enforceability or scope of our owned or licensed patents in the United States or in foreign countries cannot be predicted with certainty, and, as a result, any patents that we own or license may not provide sufficient protection against competitors. We may not be able to obtain or maintain patent protection for our pending patent applications, those we may file in the future, or those we may license from third parties, including Creighton.

We cannot assure you that any patents that will issue, that may issue or that may be licensed to us will be enforceable or valid or will not expire prior to the commercialization of our products, thus allowing others to more effectively compete with us. Therefore, any patents that we own or license may not adequately protect our future products.

 

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If we or our licensors are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology and products could be adversely affected.

In addition to patent protection, we also rely on other proprietary rights, including protection of trade secrets, know-how and confidential and proprietary information. To maintain the confidentiality of trade secrets and proprietary information, we will seek to enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants and collaborators upon the commencement of their relationships with us. These agreements generally require that all confidential information developed by the individual or made known to the individual by us during the course of the individual’s relationship with us be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties. Our agreements with employees also generally provide and will generally provide that any inventions conceived by the individual in the course of rendering services to us shall be our exclusive property. However, we may not obtain these agreements in all circumstances, and individuals with whom we have these agreements may not comply with their terms. In the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets or proprietary information, these agreements, even if obtained, may not provide meaningful protection, particularly for our trade secrets or other confidential information. To the extent that our employees, consultants or contractors use technology or know-how owned by third parties in their work for us, disputes may arise between us and those third parties as to the rights in related inventions. Adequate remedies may not exist in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our confidential information. The disclosure of our trade secrets would impair our competitive position and may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties.

Other entities may have or obtain patents or proprietary rights that could limit our ability to manufacture, use, sell, offer for sale or import products or impair our competitive position. In addition, to the extent that a third party develops new technology that covers our products, we may be required to obtain licenses to that technology, which licenses may not be available or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If licenses are not available to us on acceptable terms, we will not be able to market the affected products or conduct the desired activities, unless we challenge the validity, enforceability or infringement of the third-party patent or circumvent the third-party patent, which would be costly and would require significant time and attention of our management. Third parties may have or obtain valid and enforceable patents or proprietary rights that could block us from developing products using our technology. Our failure to obtain a license to any technology that we require may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we become involved in patent litigation or other proceedings related to a determination of rights, we could incur substantial costs and expenses, substantial liability for damages or be required to stop our product development and commercialization efforts, any of which could materially adversely affect our liquidity, business prospects and results of operations.

Third parties may sue us for infringing their patent rights. Likewise, we may need to resort to litigation to enforce a patent issued or licensed to us or to determine the scope and validity of proprietary rights of others. In addition, a third party may claim that we have

 

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improperly obtained or used its confidential or proprietary information. Furthermore, in connection with our third-party license agreements, we generally have agreed to indemnify the licensor for costs incurred in connection with litigation relating to intellectual property rights. The cost to us of any litigation or other proceeding relating to intellectual property rights, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, and the litigation would divert our management’s efforts. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could limit our ability to continue our operations.

If any parties successfully claim that our creation or use of proprietary technologies infringes upon their intellectual property rights, we might be forced to pay damages, potentially including treble damages, if we are found to have willfully infringed on such parties’ patent rights. In addition to any damages we might have to pay, a court could require us to stop the infringing activity or obtain a license. Any license required under any patent may not be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, such licenses are likely to be non-exclusive and, therefore, our competitors may have access to the same technology licensed to us. If we fail to obtain a required license and are unable to design around a patent, we may be unable to effectively market some of our technology and products, which could limit our ability to generate revenues or achieve profitability and possibly prevent us from generating revenue sufficient to sustain our operations.

Our business may become subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks associated with domestic and international operations.

Our business is subject to risks associated with conducting business domestically and internationally, in part due to some of our suppliers being located outside the U.S. Accordingly, our future results could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:

 

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difficulties in compliance with U.S. and non-U.S. laws and regulations;

 

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changes in U.S. and non-U.S. regulations and customs;

 

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changes in non-U.S. currency exchange rates and currency controls;

 

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changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic environment;

 

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trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements or other restrictive actions by U.S. or non-U.S. governments;

 

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negative consequences from changes in tax laws; and

 

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difficulties associated with staffing and managing foreign operations, including differing labor relations.

 

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We may be required to recognize impairment charges for our goodwill and other intangible assets.

As of December 31, 2013, the net carrying value of our goodwill and other intangible assets totaled approximately $93.8 million. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, we periodically assess these assets to determine if they are impaired. Significant negative industry or economic trends, disruptions to our business, inability to effectively integrate acquired businesses, unexpected significant changes or planned changes in use of the assets, divestitures and market capitalization declines may impair our goodwill and other intangible assets. Any charges relating to such impairments would adversely affect our results of operations in the periods recognized.

In connection with the Merger, we entered into a voting and lock-up agreement with certain of our stockholders pursuant to which such stockholders agreed to vote to approve certain corporate actions following the Merger.

In connection with the Merger Agreement and the Private Placement, the Investors and a majority of SafeStitch’s and TransEnterix Surgical’s former stockholders, including the largest stockholders of each of SafeStitch and TransEnterix Surgical prior to the Merger comprising, in the aggregate, 93% of our stock on the effective date of the Merger, and members of our Board of Directors, agreed to enter into lock-up and voting agreements (each, a Voting Agreement), pursuant to which such persons agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to sell, transfer or otherwise convey any of the Company’s securities held by them (collectively, Covered Securities) for one year following the Merger closing date. The Voting Agreements provide that such persons may sell, transfer or convey: (i) up to 50% of their respective Covered Securities during the period commencing on the one-year anniversary of the Merger closing date and ending on the eighteen-month anniversary of the Merger closing date; and (ii) up to an aggregate of 75% of their respective Covered Securities during the period commencing on the eighteen-month anniversary of the Merger closing date and ending on the two-year anniversary of the Merger closing date. The restrictions on transfer contained in the Voting Agreements cease to apply to the Covered Securities following the second anniversary of the Merger closing date.

Additionally, pursuant to the Voting Agreements, each Investor party thereto has agreed, for the period commencing on the Merger closing date and ending on the one-year anniversary of the Merger closing date, to vote all of such person’s Covered Securities in favor of: (i) amending the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to change the legal name of the Company to “TransEnterix, Inc.”; (ii) effecting a reverse stock split of the common stock on terms approved by the Company’s Board of Directors; and (iii) amending the Company’s 2007 Incentive Compensation Plan in order to increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder. Each of these identified events were approved by majority consent of our stockholders prior to the filing of this prospectus.

The Voting Agreement had the effect of securing the approval, by a majority of our stockholders, of the designated corporate actions. The corporate actions described in (i) and (iii) above were approved by stockholders and effected on December 6, 2013. The corporate action described in (ii) above was approved by a majority of our stockholders on February 12, 2014. Therefore, all voting requirements under the Voting Agreement have been completed. The

 

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Voting Agreement continues to limit the ability of our principal stockholders to transfer shares of our common stock for a significant period after the Merger consummation. These limitations may add to the low volume of shares of our common stock that trade on the OTCBB during the time period described.

Risks Related to Offerings under this Prospectus and our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, highly volatile, and such volatility could cause the market price of our common stock to decrease and could cause you to lose some or all of your investment in our common stock.

During the two years ended December 31, 2013, the market price of our common stock fluctuated from a high of $1.78 per share to a low of $0.21 per share, and our stock price continues to fluctuate. The market price of our common stock may continue to fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as:

 

•

the announcement of new products or product enhancements by us or our competitors;

 

•

developments concerning intellectual property rights and regulatory approvals;

 

•

variations in our and our competitors’ results of operations;

 

•

changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if our common stock is covered by analysts;

 

•

developments in the medical device industry;

 

•

the results of product liability or intellectual property lawsuits;

 

•

future issuances of common stock or other securities;

 

•

the addition or departure of key personnel;

 

•

announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, investments or strategic alliances; and

 

•

general market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance.

Further, the stock market in general, and the market for medical device companies in particular, has recently experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. The volatility of our common stock is further exacerbated due to its low trading volume. Continued market fluctuations could result in extreme volatility in the price of our common stock, which could cause a decline in the value of our common stock and the loss of some or all of your investment.

 

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We intend to effect a reverse stock split of our common stock, which could result in increased volatility in the price and trading volume of our common stock and cause a decline in the value of our common stock.

On February 12, 2014, the holders of approximately 66% of our voting securities authorized a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split in the rage of one-for-two to one-for-ten, with the actual ratio to be determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, within such range. The Company does not currently know the final ratio that will be selected. The proposed reverse stock split is contemplated in connection with our pending application to list our common stock for trading on the NYSE MKT. The Company believes that it meets the objective criteria necessary for listing on the NYSE MKT.

While there will not be any change in a stockholder’s economic interest in the Company as a result of such a reverse stock split, stockholders may not view such a reverse stock split in a favorable manner. If such a reverse stock split is not viewed favorably by stockholders, this could result in increased volatility in the price and trading volume of our common stock, which could also cause a decline in the value of our common stock. There can be no assurance that the per share market price of our common stock following the reverse stock split will increase and be maintained in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of our common stock outstanding before the reverse stock split.

While the Board of Directors believes that a higher stock price per share, and a lower number of outstanding shares may help generate investor interest, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will result in a per-share price that will attract institutional investors or investment funds or that such share price will satisfy the investing guidelines of institutional investors or investment funds. As a result, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not necessarily improve.

Trading of our common stock is limited, and trading restrictions imposed on us by applicable regulations may further reduce trading in our common stock, making it difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares; and future sales of common stock could reduce our stock price.

Trading of our common stock is currently conducted on the OTCBB. The liquidity of our common stock is limited, not only in terms of the number of shares that can be bought and sold at a given price, but also as it may be adversely affected by delays in the timing of transactions and reduction in security analysts’ and the media’s coverage of us, if at all. As of immediately following the consummation of the Merger and the Private Placement, approximately 65% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock were held by officers, directors and beneficial owners of at least 10% of our outstanding shares. These holders are subject to certain restrictions, including transfer restrictions set forth in the Voting Agreement, and restrictions imposed by the Securities Act with regard to trading our common stock. These factors may result in different prices for our common stock than might otherwise be obtained in a more liquid market and could also result in a larger spread between the bid and asked prices for our common stock. In addition, without a large public float, our common stock is less liquid than the stock of companies with broader public ownership, and, as a result, the trading prices of our common

 

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stock may be more volatile. In the absence of an active public trading market, an investor may be unable to liquidate his investment in our common stock. Trading of a relatively small volume of our common stock may have a greater impact on the trading price of our stock than would be the case if our public float were larger. We cannot predict the prices at which our common stock will trade in the future, if at all.

Sales by stockholders of substantial amounts of our shares of common stock, the issuance of new shares of common stock by us or the perception that these sales may occur in the future could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock, and you may lose all or a portion of your investment in our common stock.

Because our common stock may be a “penny stock,” it may be more difficult for investors to sell shares of our common stock, and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected.

Our common stock may be a “penny stock” if, among other things, the stock price is below $5.00 per share, it is not listed on a national securities exchange or approved for quotation on the Nasdaq Stock Market or any other national stock exchange or it has not met certain net tangible asset or average revenue requirements. Broker-dealers who sell penny stocks must provide purchasers of these stocks with a standardized risk-disclosure document prepared by the SEC. This risk-disclosure document provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks involved in investing in the penny-stock market. A broker must also give a purchaser, orally or in writing, bid and offer quotations and information regarding broker and salesperson compensation, make a written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and obtain the purchaser’s written agreement to the purchase. Broker-dealers must also provide customers that hold penny stock in their accounts with such broker-dealer a monthly statement containing price and market information relating to the penny stock. If a penny stock is sold to an investor in violation of the penny stock rules, the investor may be able to cancel its purchase and get its money back.

If applicable, the penny stock rules may make it difficult for investors to sell their shares of our common stock. Because of the rules and restrictions applicable to a penny stock, there is less trading in penny stocks and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected. Also, many brokers choose not to participate in penny stock transactions. Accordingly, investors may not always be able to resell their shares of our common stock publicly at times and prices that they feel are appropriate.

Directors, executive officers, principal stockholders and affiliated entities own a significant percentage of our capital stock, and they may make decisions that you do not consider to be in the best interests of our stockholders.

Our directors, executive officers, principal stockholders and affiliated entities beneficially owned, in the aggregate, approximately 65% of our outstanding voting securities as of immediately following the consummation of the Merger and the Private Placement financing, and continue to hold such beneficial ownership. As a result, if some or all of them acted together, they would have the ability to exert substantial influence over the election of our Board of Directors and the outcome of issues requiring approval by our stockholders. This

 

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concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of the Company that may be favored by other stockholders. This could prevent transactions in which stockholders might otherwise recover a premium for their shares over current market prices.

Our management will have broad discretion as to the use of the proceeds of offerings under this prospectus.

We have not designated the amount of net proceeds we will receive from an offering under this prospectus for any particular purpose. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion as to the application of net proceeds. Our stockholders may not agree with the manner in which our management chooses to allocate and spend the net proceeds.

We may issue preferred stock in the future, and the terms of the preferred stock may reduce the value of our common stock.

We are authorized to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our Board of Directors may determine the terms of future preferred stock offerings without further action by our stockholders. If we issue preferred stock, it could affect your rights or reduce the value of our outstanding common stock. In particular, specific rights granted to future holders of preferred stock may include voting rights, preferences as to dividends and liquidation, conversion and redemption rights, sinking fund provisions, and restrictions on our ability to merge with or sell our assets to a third party.

We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock.

We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock or other securities, and we currently do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Because we do not anticipate paying cash dividends for the foreseeable future, our stockholders will not realize a return on their investment in our common stock except to the extent of any appreciation in the value of our common stock. Our common stock may not appreciate in value, or may decline in value.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities under this prospectus together with our existing cash resources, for working capital and other general corporate purposes. At this time, we have not determined the specific uses of any offering proceeds, or the amounts we plan to spend on any particular use or the timing of such expenditures, which may vary significantly depending on various factors such as our research and development activities, regulatory approvals, competition, marketing and sales, and the market acceptance of any products introduced by us or our partners. Pending application of the net proceeds from any particular offering, we intend to invest such proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing, investment-grade securities.

Each time we issue securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain information about how we intend to use the proceeds from each such offering.

 

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We cannot guarantee that we will receive any proceeds in connection with any offering hereunder because we may choose not to issue any of the securities covered by this prospectus.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities being offered hereby from time to time in one or more of the following ways:

 

•

through one or more underwriters;

 

•

through dealers, who may act as agents or principal (including a block trade in which a broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction);

 

•

directly to one or more purchasers;

 

•

through agents;

 

•

through registered direct offerings;

 

•

as part of a collaboration with a third party;

 

•

through “at the market” offerings, within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act, to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market on an exchange or otherwise;

 

•

in privately negotiated transactions; and

 

•

in any combination of these methods of sale.

We will set forth in a prospectus supplement the terms of the offering of securities, including:

 

•

the name or names of any agents, underwriters or dealers;

 

•

the terms of the securities being offered, including the purchase price and the proceeds we will receive from the sale;

 

•

any underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

•

any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; and

 

•

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.

 

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The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices.

Underwriters, dealers, agents and others that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. In no event will the total amount of cash compensation paid to underwriters, placement agents, dealers or brokers exceed 10% of the gross proceeds of the offering. We will identify in the applicable prospectus supplement any underwriters, dealers, agents and others and will describe their compensation. We may have agreements with underwriters, dealers, agents and others to indemnify them against specified civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Underwriters, dealers, agents and others may engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of their businesses.

If required under applicable state securities laws, we will sell the securities only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states, we may not sell securities unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or unless we have complied with an exemption from any registration or qualification requirements.

Agents

We may designate agents who agree to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment or to sell securities on a continuing basis. Unless the prospectus supplement provides otherwise, agents will act on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment. Agents may receive compensation in the form of commissions, discounts or concessions from us. Agents may also receive compensation from the purchasers of the securities for whom they sell as principals. Each particular agent will receive compensation in amounts negotiated in connection with the sale, which might be in excess of customary commissions.

Underwriters

If we use underwriters for a sale of securities, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting agreement. Unless the prospectus supplement provides otherwise, underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. We may change from time to time any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions the underwriters allow or reallow or pay to dealers. We may use underwriters with whom we have a material relationship, and we may offer the securities to the public through an underwriting syndicate or through a single underwriter. We will describe in the prospectus supplement naming the underwriter the nature of any such relationship and underwriting arrangement.

 

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Dealers

We also may sell securities to a dealer as principal. If we sell our securities to a dealer as a principal, then the dealer may resell those securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale. The name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Direct Sales and Institutional Purchases

We may also sell securities directly to one or more purchasers, in which case underwriters or agents would not be involved in the transaction.

Further, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain types of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in an applicable prospectus supplement.

Stabilization Activities

Any underwriter may engage in overallotment, stabilizing transactions, short covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Overallotment involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering transactions involve purchases in the open market after the distribution is completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions. Such activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than they would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the OTC Bulletin Board or otherwise.

Passive Market Making

Any underwriters who are qualified market makers on the OTC Bulletin Board may engage in passive market making transactions on the OTC Bulletin Board in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M, during the business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.

 

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Costs

We will bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the securities, as well as the expense of all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to sales of the securities by us.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

Our authorized capital stock consists of 750 million shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share and 25 million shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

Common Stock

Of the authorized common stock, as of March 6, 2014 there are 244,276,923 shares outstanding and there are 33,841,214 shares of our common stock reserved for the exercise of outstanding stock options, warrants and restricted stock units. There were approximately 280 record holders as of February 28, 2014. Subject to the prior rights of the holders of any shares of preferred stock which may be issued in the future, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends from our funds legally available therefor when, as and if declared by our Board of Directors, and are entitled to share ratably in all of our assets available for distribution to holders of our common stock upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, subject to the liquidation preference, if any, of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock. Holders of our common stock do not have any preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters which they are entitled to vote upon at meetings of stockholders or upon actions taken by written consent pursuant to Delaware corporate law. The holders of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights, which mean that the holders of a plurality of the outstanding shares can elect all of our directors. All of the shares of our common stock currently issued and outstanding are fully-paid and nonassessable. No dividends have been paid to holders of our common stock since our incorporation, and no cash dividends are anticipated to be declared or paid in the reasonably foreseeable future.

Transfer Agent.

The transfer agent for our common stock is Continental Stock & Transfer Company.

Listing.

The shares of our common stock are currently listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “TRXC.”

Preferred Stock

Our Board has the authority, without further action by the holders of the outstanding common stock, to issue preferred stock from time to time in one or more classes or series, to fix the number of shares constituting any class or series and the stated value thereof, if different from the par value, as to fix the terms of any such series or class, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion or exchange rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions), the redemption price and the liquidation preference of such class or series.

 

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Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, our By-Laws and Delaware Law

Delaware Statute

We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three (3) years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

•

prior to such date, our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder’s becoming an interested stockholder;

 

•

upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of our outstanding voting stock, excluding shares held by directors, officers and certain employee stock plans; or

 

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on or after the consummation date, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote at an annual or special meeting of stockholders holding of at least two-thirds of our outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

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For purposes of Section 203, a “business combination” includes, among other things, a Merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder, and an “interested stockholder” is generally a person who, together with affiliates and associates of such person:

 

•

owns 15% or more of outstanding voting stock; or

 

•

is an affiliate or associate of ours and was the owner of 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock at any time within the prior three (3) years.

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaw Provisions

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws include provisions that, among others, could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change of control of us. The provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that may have such effect include:

 

•

Preferred Stock. As noted above, our board of directors, without stockholder approval, has the authority under our certificate of incorporation to issue preferred stock with rights superior to the rights of the holders of common stock. As a result, we could issue preferred stock quickly and easily, which could adversely

 

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affect the rights of holders of our common stock and could be issued with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change of control or make removal of management more difficult.

 

•

Stockholder Meetings. Under our certificate of incorporation, as amended, and bylaws, special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors or the chairman of the board of directors. Our stockholders may not call a special meeting of the stockholders.

 

•

Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals. Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our Board of Directors or a committee thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

General

The debt securities that we may issue will constitute debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the Company, to be issued in one or more series. The particular terms of any series of debt securities we offer, including the extent to which the general terms set forth below may be applicable to a particular series, will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series.

Debt securities that we may issue will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee qualified to act as such under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. When we refer to the “indenture” in this prospectus, we are referring to the indenture under which debt securities are issued as supplemented by any supplemental indenture applicable to such debt securities. We will provide the name of the trustee in any prospectus supplement related to the issuance of debt securities, and we will also provide certain other information related to the trustee, including describing any relationship we have with the trustee, in such prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be direct secured or unsecured obligations of the Company. The senior debt securities will rank equally with any of our other unsecured senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any senior indebtedness.

We may issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series, in each case with the same or various maturities, at par or at a discount. Unless indicated in a prospectus supplement, we may issue additional debt securities of a particular series without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series outstanding at the time of the issuance. Any such additional debt securities, together with all other outstanding debt securities of that series, will constitute a single series of debt securities under the applicable indenture and will be equal in ranking.

 

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The following statements relating to the debt securities and the indenture are summaries and do not purport to be complete, and are subject in their entirety to the detailed provisions of the indenture.

Information to be provided in a Prospectus Supplement

The prospectus supplement would set forth the following terms of the debt securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered:

 

•

the title and denominations of the debt securities of the series;

 

•

any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of the series;

 

•

the date or dates on which the principal and premium, if any, with respect to the debt securities of the series are payable or the method of determination thereof;

 

•

the rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, at which the debt securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, or the method of calculating and/or resetting such rate or rates of interest;

 

•

the dates from which such interest shall accrue or the method by which such dates shall be determined and the duration of the extensions and the basis upon which interest shall be calculated;

 

•

the interest payment dates for the series of debt securities or the method by which such dates will be determined, the terms of any deferral of interest and any right of ours to extend the interest payments periods;

 

•

the terms and conditions upon which debt securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option or otherwise;

 

•

our obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase, or repay debt securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or other specified event or at the option of the holders and the terms of any such redemption, purchase, or repayment;

 

•

the terms, if any, upon which the debt securities of the series may be convertible into or exchanged for preferred stock or common stock, including, among other things, the initial conversion or exchange price or rate and the conversion or exchange period;

 

•

if the amount of principal, premium, if any, or interest with respect to the debt securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index or formula, the manner in which such amounts will be determined;

 

•

if any payments on the debt securities of the series are to be made in a currency or currencies (or by reference to an index or formula) other than that in which such securities are denominated or designated to be payable, the currency or currencies (or index or formula) in which such payments are to be made and the terms and conditions of such payments;

 

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•

any changes or additions to the provisions of the indenture dealing with defeasance, including any additional covenants that may be subject to our covenant defeasance option;

 

•

the currency or currencies in which payment of the principal and premium, if any, and interest with respect to debt securities of the series will be payable, or in which the debt securities of the series shall be denominated, and the particular provisions applicable thereto in accordance with the indenture;

 

•

the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which will be payable upon declaration of acceleration or provable in bankruptcy or the method by which such portion or amount shall be determined;

 

•

whether the debt securities of the series will be secured and, if so, on what terms;

 

•

any events of default with respect to the debt securities of the series;

 

•

the identity of any trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars;

 

•

the applicability of, and any addition to or change in, the covenants currently set forth in the indenture;

 

•

the subordination, ranking or priority, if any, of the debt securities of the series and terms of the subordination;

 

•

any other terms of the debt securities of the series which are not prohibited by the indenture; and

 

•

whether securities of the series shall be issuable as registered securities or bearer securities (with or without interest coupons), and any restrictions applicable to the offering, sale or delivery of such bearer securities and the terms upon which such bearer securities of a series may be exchanged for registered securities, and vice versa.

Interest Rate

Debt securities that bear interest will do so at a fixed rate or a floating rate. We may sell, at a discount below the stated principal amount, any debt securities which bear no interest or which bear interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below the prevailing market rate. The relevant prospectus supplement will describe the special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to any discounted debt securities and any debt securities issued at par which are treated as having been issued at a discount for United States federal income tax purposes.

 

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Transfer and Exchange

We may issue debt securities that would be represented by either:

(a) “book-entry securities,” which means that there will be one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, as depository, or a nominee of the depository; or

(b) “certificated securities,” which means that they will be represented by a certificate issued in definitive registered form.

We would specify in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular offering whether the debt securities offered will be book-entry or certificated securities. Except as set forth under “Global Debt Securities and Book Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities would not be issuable in certificated form.

Certificated Debt Securities

If you hold certificated debt securities that have been offered by this prospectus, you may transfer or exchange them at the trustee’s office or at the paying agency in accordance with the terms of the indenture. You would not be charged a service charge for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but may be required to pay an amount sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the transfer or exchange.

You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and of the right to receive the principal of, premium and/or interest, if any, on your certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing your certificated debt securities and having us or the trustee issue a new certificate to the new holder.

Global Debt Securities and Book–Entry System

If we decided to issue debt securities in the form of one or more global securities, then we would register the global securities in the name of the depository for the global securities or in the nominee of the depository, and the global securities would be delivered by the trustee to the depository for credit to the accounts of the holders of beneficial interest in the debt securities. Each global security would:

 

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be registered in the name of a depositary, or its nominee, that we would identify in a prospectus supplement;

 

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be deposited with the depositary or nominee or custodian; and

 

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bear any required legends.

 

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No global security may be exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities registered in the name of any person other than the depositary or any nominee unless:

 

•

the depositary has notified us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or has ceased to be qualified to act as depositary;

 

•

an event of default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the debt securities of the applicable series; or

 

•

any other circumstance described in a prospectus supplement has occurred permitting or requiring the issuance of any such security.

As long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a global security, the depositary or nominee would be considered the sole owner and holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the indentures. Except in the above limited circumstances, owners of beneficial interests in a global security would not be:

 

•

entitled to have the debt securities registered in their names;

 

•

entitled to physical delivery of certificated debt securities; or

 

•

considered to be holders of those debt securities under the indenture.

Payments on a global security would be made to the depositary or its nominee as the holder of the global security. Some jurisdictions have laws that require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. These laws may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global security.

Institutions that have accounts with the depositary or its nominee are referred to as “participants.” Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security would be limited to participants and to persons that may hold beneficial interests through participants. The depositary would credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of debt securities represented by the global security to the accounts of its participants.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security would be shown on and effected through records maintained by the depositary, with respect to participants’ interests, or any participant, with respect to interests of persons held by participants on their behalf.

Payments, transfers and exchanges relating to beneficial interests in a global security would be subject to policies and procedures of the depositary. The depositary policies and procedures may change from time to time. Neither any trustee nor we would have any responsibility or liability for the depositary’s or any participant’s records with respect to beneficial interests in a global security.

The prospectus supplement would describe the specific terms of the depository arrangement for debt securities of a series that are issued in global form. The Company and its agents, the trustee, and any of its agents would not have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global debt security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to the beneficial ownership interests.

 

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Conversion or Exchange Rights

Debt securities offered hereby may be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common or preferred stock. The terms and conditions of such conversion or exchange will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Such terms may include, among others, the following:

 

•

the conversion or exchange price;

 

•

the conversion or exchange period;

 

•

provisions regarding our ability or that of the holder to convert or exchange the debt securities;

 

•

events requiring adjustment to the conversion or exchange price; and

 

•

provisions affecting conversion or exchange in the event of our redemption of such debt securities.

Covenants

Unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus or a prospectus supplement, the debt securities would not have the benefit of any covenants that limit or restrict our business or operations, the pledging of our assets or the incurrence by us of indebtedness. We would describe in the applicable prospectus supplement any material covenants of a series of debt securities.

Concerning the Trustee

We would identify the trustee with respect to any series of debt securities in the prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities. You should note that if the trustee becomes a creditor of the Company, the indenture and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 limit the rights of the trustee to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property received in respect of certain claims, as security or otherwise. The trustee and its affiliates may engage in, and would be permitted to continue to engage in, other transactions with us and our affiliates. If, however, the trustee acquires any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, it must eliminate the conflict or resign.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the trustee. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee, in the exercise of its rights and powers, must use the degree of care and skill of a prudent person in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee would be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request of any of the holders of the debt securities, unless they have offered to the trustee reasonable indemnity or security.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase preferred stock or common stock. We may offer warrants separately or together with one or more additional warrants, debt securities, shares of preferred stock or common stock, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we issue warrants as part of a unit, the prospectus supplement will specify whether those warrants may be separated from the other securities in the unit prior to the warrants’ expiration date. We may issue the warrants under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as described in the prospectus supplement. If we issue the warrants under warrant agreements, the warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

We will describe the particular terms of any warrants that we offer in the prospectus supplement relating to those warrants. Those terms may include the following:

 

•

the specific designation and aggregate number of warrants, and the price at which we will issue the warrants;

 

•

the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;

 

•

the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which the right will expire or, if the warrants are not continuously exercisable throughout that period, the specific date or dates on which they are exercisable;

 

•

whether the warrants will be issued in fully registered form or bearer form, in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms;

 

•

any applicable material United States federal income tax considerations;

 

•

the identity of the warrant agent, if any, for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents;

 

•

the designation, aggregate principal amount, currency, denomination and terms of any debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants;

 

•

the designation, amount, currency, denominations and terms of any preferred stock or common stock purchasable upon exercise of the warrants;

 

•

if applicable, the designation and terms of the debt securities, preferred stock or common stock with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each security;

 

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•

if applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;

 

•

the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock purchasable upon exercise of any warrant and the price at which those shares may be purchased;

 

•

provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price;

 

•

if applicable, the minimum or maximum number of warrants that may be exercised at any one time;

 

•

information with respect to any book-entry procedures;

 

•

any antidilution provision of the warrants;

 

•

any redemption or call provisions; and

 

•

any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

Pursuant to the Loan and Security Agreement, dated January 17, 2012, among TransEnterix Surgical, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Oxford Finance LLC (Oxford), as amended (the Amended Loan Agreement), TransEnterix Surgical issued warrants to SVB and to Oxford on December 21, 2012, to purchase shares of TransEnterix Surgical’s capital stock. Following the Merger, these warrants were assumed by us and are now exercisable for our common stock. Pursuant to a Stock Purchase Agreement dated March 22, 2013 among SafeStitch and the investors party thereto, SafeStitch issued warrants to acquire 6,048,000 shares of common stock. As of March 6, 2014, warrants to acquire 6,426,968 shares of our common stock remain outstanding. Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,397,937 shares of common stock were issued to SVB and Oxford.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units consisting of one or more of the other securities that may be offered under this prospectus, in any combination. These units may be issuable as, and for a specified period of time may be transferable only as, a single security, rather than as the separate constituent securities comprising such units. The statements made in this section relating to the units are summaries only and are not complete. When we issue units, we will provide the specific terms of the units in a prospectus supplement. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

If we offer debt securities and/or shares of preferred stock under this prospectus, then we will, if required at that time, provide a ratio of earnings to fixed charges and/or ratio of combined fixed charges and preference dividends to earnings, respectively, in the applicable prospectus supplement for such offering.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters with respect to the securities offered hereby have been passed upon by Ballard Spahr LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2013 incorporated by reference in this Prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, (the report on the consolidated financial statements contains an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern) incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” in this prospectus the information in other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents containing such information. This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. You should rely on the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the registration statement. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus and information we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information and information contained in documents filed earlier with the SEC. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of the offering; provided, that we are not incorporating by reference any documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules. The documents we are incorporating by reference are:

 

•

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed on March 5, 2014;

 

•

our Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on November 13, 2013 (Item 9.01); and our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 19, 2014 (Items 5.02, 5.05, and 5.07);

 

•

our definitive Information Statement on Schedule 14C filed February 21, 2014; and

 

•

The description of the Company’s common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on July 30, 1991.

 

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We will furnish to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents that have been incorporated by reference, including exhibits to these documents. You may request a copy of these filings at no cost by writing or telephoning our Secretary at the following address and telephone number:

TransEnterix, Inc.

Attention: Joshua Weingard, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

635 Davis Drive, Suite 300

Morrisville, NC 27560

Telephone No.: (919) 765-8400

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act to register our securities being offered in this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed thereto. For further information about us and our securities offered by this prospectus, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Any statement contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement is not necessarily complete and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC, including the registration statement, at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, on official business days during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about issuers, like us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov. You may also inspect our SEC reports and other information at our website at www.transenterix.com. Information on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus. We are subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These reports, proxy statements and other information are available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and website of the SEC referred to above.

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The costs and expenses payable by the Company in connection with the offerings described in this registration statement are as follows:

 

SEC registration fee		$	12,880.00
Legal fees and expenses		$	50,000.00	*
Accounting fees and expenses		$	50,000.00	*
Printer costs and expenses		$	12,120.00	*
Total		$	125,000.00

 

*	Estimated as permitted under Rule 511 of Regulation S-K.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) and certain provisions of our bylaws under certain circumstances provide for indemnification of our officers, directors and controlling persons against liabilities which they may incur in such capacities. A summary of the circumstances in which such indemnification is provided for is contained herein, but this description is qualified in its entirety by reference to our bylaws.

Section 145 of the DGCL permits a corporation to indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any action, suit or proceeding brought by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the corporation, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, if he or she had no reason to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions (i.e., actions brought by or on behalf of the corporation), except that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification that may be granted by a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws, disinterested director vote, stockholder vote, agreement or otherwise.

Our bylaws provide for the indemnification described above and requires that any such indemnification only be made by the Company upon a determination that the applicable standard of conduct has been met, which determination shall be made (a) by the Board of Directors, by a

 

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majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, or (b) if such a quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable, if a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (c) by the stockholders.

Our bylaws also authorize the Board of Directors, in its discretion, to pay the expenses of any such action in advance of the final disposition of such action upon a written undertaking by such indemnitee to repay such amounts if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under the standard set by the DGCL and our bylaws.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits, and the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provide, that no director shall be personally liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for such a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liabilities arising:

 

•

from any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders;

 

•

from acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

•

under Section 174 of the DGCL (unlawful payment of dividend or unlawful stock purchase or redemption); and

 

•

from any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Indemnification may also be granted pursuant to the terms of agreements which may be entered into in the future or pursuant to a vote of stockholders or directors. Section 145(g) of the DGCL grants the power to us to purchase and maintain insurance which protects our officers and directors against any liabilities incurred in connection with their service in such a position, and such a policy may be obtained by us.

A stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers as required by these indemnification provisions. At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors, officers or employees regarding which indemnification is sought, nor are we aware of any threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed as part of, or incorporated by reference into this registration statement:

 

Exhibit Number		Identification of Exhibit
1.1+		Form of Underwriting Agreement
4.1**		Specimen Certificate for common stock of Registrant
4.2*		Form of Indenture
4.3+		Form of Note
4.4+		Form of Warrant Agreement (including form of warrant certificate)
4.5+		Form of Unit Agreement (including form of unit certificate)
5.1*		Opinion of Ballard Spahr LLP
23.1*		Consent of BDO USA, LLP
23.4*		Consent of Ballard Spahr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1**		Power of Attorney
25.1+		Statement of Eligibility of Trustee under the Indenture on Form T-1, to be filed separately pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939

 

+	To be filed as an exhibit to a report filed pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or by post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement if securities are sold through one or more underwriters.

*	Filed herewith.

**	Previously filed.

Item 17. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the

 

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information in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that:

Paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

(A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be

 

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deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof, provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

(ii) If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness, provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report

 

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pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in said act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(i) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(j) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Morrisville, State of North Carolina on the 7th day of March, 2014.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ Todd M. Pope		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (principal executive officer)		March 7, 2014
Todd M. Pope
/s/ Joseph P. Slattery		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer		March 7, 2014
Joseph P. Slattery		(principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)
*		Chairman of the Board		March 7, 2014
Paul A. LaViolette
*		Director		March 7, 2014
Dennis J. Dougherty

 

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*		Director		March 7, 2014
Phillip Frost
*		Director		March 7, 2014
Jane H. Hsiao
*		Director		March 7, 2014
Aftab R. Kherani
*		Director		March 7, 2014
David B. Milne
*		Director		March 7, 2014
Richard C. Pfenniger, Jr.
*		Director		March 7, 2014
William N. Starling, Jr.

 

*By:		/s/ Joseph P. Slattery
		Joseph P. Slattery
		Attorney-in-fact

 

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Exhibit 4.2

TRANSENTERIX, INC.

as the Company

and

                                         ,

as Trustee

 

 

INDENTURE

Dated as of              ,         

 

 

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				Page
ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE					1
Section 1.1.		Definitions.			1
Section 1.2.		Other Definitions.			4
Section 1.3.		Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.			5
Section 1.4.		Rules of Construction.			5
ARTICLE II. THE SECURITIES					5
Section 2.1.		Issuable in Series.			5
Section 2.2.		Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.			6
Section 2.3.		Execution and Authentication.			8
Section 2.4.		Registrar and Paying Agent.			9
Section 2.5.		Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.			10
Section 2.6.		Securityholder Lists.			10
Section 2.7.		Transfer and Exchange.			10
Section 2.8.		Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.			11
Section 2.9.		Outstanding Securities.			11
Section 2.10.		Treasury Securities.			12
Section 2.11.		Temporary Securities.			12
Section 2.12.		Cancellation.			12
Section 2.13.		Defaulted Interest.			13
Section 2.14.		Global Securities.			13
Section 2.15.		CUSIP Numbers.			14
ARTICLE III. REDEMPTION					14
Section 3.1.		Notice to Trustee.			14
Section 3.2.		Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.			14
Section 3.3.		Notice of Redemption.			15
Section 3.4.		Effect of Notice of Redemption.			16
Section 3.5.		Deposit of Redemption Price.			16
Section 3.6.		Securities Redeemed in Part.			16
ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS					16
Section 4.1.		Payment of Principal and Interest.			16
Section 4.2.		SEC Reports.			16
Section 4.3.		Compliance Certificate.			17
Section 4.4.		Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.			17
ARTICLE V. SUCCESSORS					17
Section 5.1.		When Company May Merge, Etc.			17
Section 5.2.		Successor Person Substituted.			18
ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES					18
Section 6.1.		Events of Default.			18
Section 6.2.		Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.			19
Section 6.3.		Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.			20
Section 6.4.		Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.			21
Section 6.5.		Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.			21

 

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Section 6.6.		Application of Money Collected.			22
Section 6.7.		Limitation on Suits.			22
Section 6.8.		Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest.			23
Section 6.9.		Restoration of Rights and Remedies.			23
Section 6.10.		Rights and Remedies Cumulative.			23
Section 6.11.		Delay or Omission Not Waiver.			23
Section 6.12.		Control by Holders.			24
Section 6.13.		Waiver of Past Defaults.			24
Section 6.14.		Undertaking for Costs.			24
ARTICLE VII. TRUSTEE					25
Section 7.1.		Duties of Trustee.			25
Section 7.2.		Rights of Trustee.			26
Section 7.3.		Individual Rights of Trustee.			27
Section 7.4.		Trustee’s Disclaimer.			27
Section 7.5.		Notice of Defaults.			27
Section 7.6.		Reports by Trustee to Holders.			27
Section 7.7.		Compensation and Indemnity.			28
Section 7.8.		Replacement of Trustee.			29
Section 7.9.		Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.			30
Section 7.10.		Eligibility; Disqualification.			30
Section 7.11.		Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.			30
ARTICLE VIII. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE					30
Section 8.1.		Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.			30
Section 8.2.		Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.			31
Section 8.3.		Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.			32
Section 8.4.		Covenant Defeasance.			33
Section 8.5.		Repayment to Company.			34
Section 8.6.		Reinstatement.			34
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS					35
Section 9.1.		Without Consent of Holders.			35
Section 9.2.		With Consent of Holders.			35
Section 9.3.		Limitations.			36
Section 9.4.		Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.			36
Section 9.5.		Revocation and Effect of Consents.			36
Section 9.6.		Notation on or Exchange of Securities.			37
Section 9.7.		Trustee Protected.			37
ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS					38
Section 10.1.		Trust Indenture Act Controls.			38
Section 10.2.		Notices.			38
Section 10.3.		Communication by Holders with Other Holders.			39
Section 10.4.		Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.			39
Section 10.5.		Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.			39
Section 10.6.		Rules by Trustee and Agents.			40
Section 10.7.		Legal Holidays.			40
Section 10.8.		No Recourse Against Others.			40
Section 10.9.		Counterparts.			40

 

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Section 10.10.		Governing Laws.			40
Section 10.11.		No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.			40
Section 10.12.		Successors.			41
Section 10.13.		Severability.			41
Section 10.14.		Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.			41
Section 10.15.		Securities in a Foreign Currency.			41
Section 10.16.		Judgment Currency.			41
Section 10.17.		Patriot Act.			42
Section 10.18.		Act of Holders.			42
Section 10.19.		Waiver of Jury Trial.			43
Section 10.20.		Force Majeure.			43
ARTICLE XI. SINKING FUNDS					44
Section 11.1.		Applicability of Article.			44
Section 11.2.		Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.			44
Section 11.3.		Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.			45

 

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TRANSENTERIX, INC.

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939

and Indenture, dated as of              ,                 

 

§ 310(a)(1)				7.10
(a)(2)				7.10
(a)(3)				Not Applicable
(a)(4)				Not Applicable
(a)(5)				7.10
(b)				7.10
§ 311(a)				7.11
(b)				7.11
§ 312(a)				2.6
(b)				10.3
(c)				10.3
§ 313(a)				7.6
(b)(1)				7.6
(b)(2)				7.6
(c)(1)				7.6
(d)				7.6
§ 314(a)				4.2, 10.5
(b)				Not Applicable
(c)(1)				10.4
(c)(2)				10.4
(c)(3)				Not Applicable
(d)				Not Applicable
(e)				10.5
(f)				Not Applicable
§ 315(a)				7.1
(b)				7.5
(c)				7.1
(d)				7.1
(e)				6.14
§ 316(a)				2.10
(a)(1)(A)				6.12
(a)(1)(B)				6.13
(b)				6.8
§ 317(a)(1)				6.3
(a)(2)				6.4
(b)				2.5
§ 318(a)				10.1

 

Note:

This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

 

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Indenture dated as of                  ,          among TransEnterix, Inc., a Delaware corporation and                     , a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States, not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee (as defined herein).

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other parties and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

 

Section 1.1.

Definitions.

“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.

“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.

“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent.

“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York (or in connection with any payment, the place of payment) on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

“Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock.

“Company” means TransEnterix, Inc., a Delaware corporation, until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.

 

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“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business related to this Indenture shall be principally administered.

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depositary for such Series by the Company, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of such Series.

“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of the United States of America.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of the United States of America.

“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

“GAAP” means accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.

“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depositary for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.

“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered.

 

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“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.

“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.

“Maturity” when used with respect to any Security means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, any Executive Vice President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by any Officer.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.

“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.

“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office having responsibility for administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer of the Trustee to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or interest is due and payable.

“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock

 

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entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.

“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are direct obligations of, or guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

 

Section 1.2.

Other Definitions.

 

TERM		DEFINED IN SECTION
“Bankruptcy Law”		6.1
“Custodian”		6.1
“Event of Default”		6.1
“Judgment Currency”		10.16
“Legal Holiday”		10.7
“mandatory sinking fund payment”		11.1
“New York Banking Day”		10.16
“Notice Agent”		2.4
“optional sinking fund payment”		11.1
“Paying Agent”		2.4
“Registrar”		2.4
“Required Currency”		10.16
“successor person”		5.1

 

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Section 1.3.

Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“Commission” means the SEC.

“indenture securities” means the Securities.

“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.

 

Section 1.4.

Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(c) “or” is not exclusive;

(d) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and

(e) provisions apply to successive events and transactions.

ARTICLE II.

THE SECURITIES

 

Section 2.1.

Issuable in Series.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or an Officer’s Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officer’s

 

5

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Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

 

Section 2.2.

Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.

At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally in the case of Subsection 2.2.1, and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.22) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate:

2.2.1. the title (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series) and ranking (including the terms of any subordination provisions) of the Series;

2.2.2. the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

2.2.3. any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);

2.2.4. the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

2.2.5. the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

2.2.6. the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;

2.2.7. if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

2.2.8. the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder

 

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thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

2.2.9. the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;

2.2.10. if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

2.2.11. the forms of the Securities of the Series and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities;

2.2.12. if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;

2.2.13. the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;

2.2.14. the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;

2.2.15. if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;

2.2.16. the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;

2.2.17. the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series;

2.2.18. any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;

2.2.19. any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;

 

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2.2.20. any Depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;

2.2.21. the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of such Series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price, the conversion or exchange period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, at the option of the Holders thereof or at the option of the Company, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange if such Series of Securities are redeemed; and

2.2.22. any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series), including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that Series.

All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate referred to above.

 

Section 2.3.

Execution and Authentication.

An Officer shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.

Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officer’s Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.

 

8

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The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice presidents or a committee of Responsible Officers shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.

 

Section 2.4.

Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (the “Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (the “Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered (the “Notice Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional notice agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional notice agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Notice Agent” includes any additional notice agent. The Company or any of its Affiliates may serve as Registrar or Paying Agent.

The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.

 

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Section 2.5.

Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities.

 

Section 2.6.

Securityholder Lists.

The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.

 

Section 2.7.

Transfer and Exchange.

Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).

Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.

 

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Section 2.8.

Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity bond as may be required by them to hold each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section 2.8, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section 2.8 in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section 2.8 are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

 

Section 2.9.

Outstanding Securities.

The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section 2.9 as not outstanding.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

 

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The Company may purchase or otherwise acquire the Securities, whether by open market purchases, negotiated transactions or otherwise. A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security (but see Section 2.10 below).

In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

 

Section 2.10.

Treasury Securities.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.

 

Section 2.11.

Temporary Securities.

Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon receipt of a Company Order shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.

 

Section 2.12.

Cancellation.

The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy such canceled Securities (subject to the record retention requirements of the Exchange Act and the Trustee) and deliver a certificate of such cancellation to the Company, upon written request of the Company. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

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Section 2.13.

Defaulted Interest.

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least 10 days before the special record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

 

Section 2.14.

Global Securities.

2.14.1. Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities.

2.14.2. Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of this Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of this Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depositary for such Security or its nominee only if (a) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event or (b) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.

Except as provided in this Section 2.14.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depositary, by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.

2.14.3. Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depositary or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.”

 

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2.14.4. Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.

2.14.5. Consents, Declaration and Directions. The Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depositary or by the applicable procedures of such Depositary with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.

 

Section 2.15.

CUSIP Numbers.

The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

ARTICLE III.

REDEMPTION

 

Section 3.1.

Notice to Trustee.

The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of the Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 15 days before notice of redemption is delivered to the Holders unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the Trustee.

 

Section 3.2.

Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed in any manner, including by lot or other method, subject, in the case of Global Securities, to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $1,000.

 

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Securities of the Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2.10, the minimum principal denomination for each Series and the authorized integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to the Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of the Securities of that Series called for redemption.

 

Section 3.3.

Notice of Redemption.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.

The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:

(a) the redemption date;

(b) the redemption price;

(c) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(d) if any Securities are being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date and upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Security shall be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Security;

(e) that the Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(f) that interest on the Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date unless the Company defaults in the deposit of the redemption price;

(g) the CUSIP number, if any; and

(h) any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense, provided, however, that the Company has delivered to the Trustee, at least 5 days (unless a shorter time shall be acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the notice date, an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice in the form of a copy of the notice to the Holders.

 

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Section 3.4.

Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is mailed as provided in Section 3.3, the Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. Except as otherwise provided in the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate for a Series, a notice of redemption pertaining to such Series may not be conditional. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date.

 

Section 3.5.

Deposit of Redemption Price.

On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.

 

Section 3.6.

Securities Redeemed in Part.

Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE IV.

COVENANTS

 

Section 4.1.

Payment of Principal and Interest.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture. On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the applicable payment date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient (as determined by the Company) to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of each Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

 

Section 4.2.

SEC Reports.

To the extent any Securities of a Series are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA § 314(a). Reports, information and documents filed with the SEC via the EDGAR system will be deemed to be delivered to the Trustee as of the time of such filing via EDGAR for purposes of this Section 4.2, provided, however, that for the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee shall have no responsibility whatsoever to determine if such filing or posting has occurred.

 

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Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under this Section 4.2 are for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive or actual notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officer’s Certificate).

 

Section 4.3.

Compliance Certificate.

The Company shall, so long as any Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officer’s Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officer with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of such Officer’s knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge).

The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, promptly upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

Section 4.4.

Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities; and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

ARTICLE V.

SUCCESSORS

 

Section 5.1.

When Company May Merge, Etc.

The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”) unless:

(a) the Company is the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture;

(b) immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and

 

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The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officer’s Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture hereto comply with this Indenture.

Notwithstanding the above, any Subsidiary of the Company may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to the Company. Neither an Officer’s Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered in connection therewith.

 

Section 5.2.

Successor Person Substituted.

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets, of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor person formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

ARTICLE VI.

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

 

Section 6.1.

Events of Default.

“Event of Default” wherever used herein with respect to the Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

(a) default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the 30th day of such period); or

(b) default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; or

(c) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than defaults pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above or pursuant to a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of the Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days

 

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after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(d) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(i) commences a voluntary case,

(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,

(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or

(v) generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or

(e) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,

(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or

(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company,

and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or

(f) any other Event of Default provided with respect to the Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

The Company will provide the Trustee with written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or purposes to take in respect thereof.

 

Section 6.2.

Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(d) or (e)) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of

 

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that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of the Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 6.3.

Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

The Company covenants that if:

(a) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(b) default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or

(c) default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of any Security,

then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

 

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If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, subject to Article VII of this Indenture, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

 

Section 6.4.

Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their respective creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

 

Section 6.5.

Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee

 

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shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

 

Section 6.6.

Application of Money Collected.

Any money or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and

Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

Third: To the Company.

 

Section 6.7.

Limitation on Suits.

No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;

(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Trustee in compliance with such request;

(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(e) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;

it being understood, intended and expressly covenanted by the Holder of every Security with every other Holder and the Trustee that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in

 

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any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders of the applicable Series.

 

Section 6.8.

Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

 

Section 6.9.

Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

Section 6.10.

Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

 

Section 6.11.

Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

 

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Section 6.12.

Control by Holders.

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series; provided that:

(a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,

(b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction,

(c) subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability, and

(d) prior to taking any action as directed under this Section 6.12, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

Section 6.13.

Waiver of Past Defaults.

The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 6.14.

Undertaking for Costs.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 6.14 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).

 

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ARTICLE VII.

TRUSTEE

 

Section 7.1.

Duties of Trustee.

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others.

(ii) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the form requirements of this Indenture.

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(i) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.

(ii) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.

(iii) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to the Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series in accordance with Section 6.12.

(d) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to clauses (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 7.1.

 

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(e) The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power.

(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(g) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against such risk is not assured to the Trustee.

(h) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections and immunities as are set forth in paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of this Section and in Section 7.2, each with respect to the Trustee.

 

Section 7.2.

Rights of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

(c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depositary shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depositary.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute willful misconduct or negligence.

(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without willful misconduct or negligence, and in reliance thereon.

(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

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(g) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.

(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture.

(i) In no event shall the Trustee be liable to any person for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.

(j) The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so.

 

Section 7.3.

Individual Rights of Trustee.

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or any Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

 

Section 7.4.

Trustee’s Disclaimer.

The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.

 

Section 7.5.

Notice of Defaults.

If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.

 

Section 7.6.

Reports by Trustee to Holders.

Within 60 days after each anniversary of the date of this Indenture, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such anniversary date, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA § 313.

 

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A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each national securities exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing when Securities of any Series are listed or cease to be listed on any national securities exchange.

 

Section 7.7.

Compensation and Indemnity.

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any loss, damage, claim, cost, expense or liability, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the exercise or performance of the Indenture and the trust or trusts hereunder including the cost of defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, the Holder or any person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of its powers or duties hereunder, or in enforcing the provisions of this Section 7.7, except as set forth in the next paragraph. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations under this Section 7.7 except to the extent that the Company is materially prejudiced thereby. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.

The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through the Trustee’s willful misconduct or negligence as determined by a final non appealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction.

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section 7.7, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

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The provisions of this Section 7.7 shall survive the termination of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.

 

Section 7.8.

Replacement of Trustee.

A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.8.

The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series if:

(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it for actions taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with its rights, powers and duties under this Indenture prior to such replacement.

 

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Section 7.9.

Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.

If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee, subject to Section 7.10.

 

Section 7.10.

Eligibility; Disqualification.

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b).

 

Section 7.11.

Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated.

ARTICLE VIII.

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

 

Section 8.1.

Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(a) either:

(i) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(ii) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation

(1) have become due and payable, or

(2) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

(3) have been called for redemption or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or

(4) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable;

 

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and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount of money or U.S. Government Obligations sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;

(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section 8.1, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.

 

Section 8.2.

Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Section 8.3 or 8.4.

(b) The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.

(c) The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Order any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Section 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.

 

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Section 8.3.

Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.

Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, execute instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:

(a) the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;

(b) the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and

(c) the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith;

provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(d) the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;

(e) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

(f) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;

 

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(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;

(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

(i) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section 8.3 have been complied with.

 

Section 8.4.

Covenant Defeasance.

Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2.18 and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(a) With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;

 

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(b) Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

(c) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;

(d) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred;

(e) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

(f) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section 8.4 have been complied with.

 

Section 8.5.

Repayment to Company.

Subject to applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After that, the Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.

 

Section 8.6.

Reinstatement.

If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money deposited with respect to Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 8.1 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series and under the Securities of such Series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.1 until such time as the Trustee or the Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.1; provided, however, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent after payment in full to the Holders.

 

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ARTICLE IX.

AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

 

Section 9.1.

Without Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder:

(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

(b) to comply with Article V;

(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;

(d) to surrender any of the Company’s rights or powers under this Indenture;

(e) to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of Securities of any Series;

(f) to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;

(g) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder as determined in good faith by the Company, as evidenced in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee;

(h) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;

(i) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee;

(j) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA; or

(k) to secure any or all of the Securities.

 

Section 9.2.

With Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.

 

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It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this Section 9.2 becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.

 

Section 9.3.

Limitations.

Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:

(a) reduce the principal amount of the Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(b) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;

(c) reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;

(d) reduce the principal amount of the Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;

(e) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

(f) make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;

(g) make any change in Sections 6.8 or 6.13 or this clause (g); or

(h) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, provided that such redemption is made at the Company’s option.

 

Section 9.4.

Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

 

Section 9.5.

Revocation and Effect of Consents.

Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as

 

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the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.

Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, those persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or take any such action, whether or not such persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date.

 

Section 9.6.

Notation on or Exchange of Securities.

The Company or the Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for the Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.

 

Section 9.7.

Trustee Protected.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel or an Officer’s Certificate, or both, complying with Section 10.4. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures upon delivery of such an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel or both, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights.

 

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ARTICLE X.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 10.1.

Trust Indenture Act Controls.

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.

 

Section 10.2.

Notices.

Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:

 

if to the Company:		TransEnterix, Inc.
		635 Davis Drive, Suite 300
		Morrisville, NC 27560
		Attention: Chief Legal Officer
		Telephone: (919) 765-8400
		Facsimile: (    )
With a copy to:		Ballard Spahr LLP
		1735 Market Street, 51st Floor
		Philadelphia, PA 19103
		Attention: Mary J. Mullany
		Telephone: (215) 864-8631
		Facsimile: (215) 864-8999
if to the Trustee:
		Attention:
		Telephone:
		Facsimile:

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.

If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.

 

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If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption) to a Holder of a Global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee) pursuant to the customary procedures of such Depositary.

 

Section 10.3.

Communication by Holders with Other Holders.

The Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with the other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

 

Section 10.4.

Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(a) an Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(b) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.

 

Section 10.5.

Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and shall include:

(a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

 

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Section 10.6.

Rules by Trustee and Agents.

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

 

Section 10.7.

Legal Holidays.

Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

 

Section 10.8.

No Recourse Against Others.

A director, officer, employee or stockholder (past or present), as such, of the Company or its respective Affiliates shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Securities.

 

Section 10.9.

Counterparts.

This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

Section 10.10.

Governing Laws.

THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE INDENTURE OR THE SECURITIES, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAWS PROVISIONS THEREOF OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW).

 

Section 10.11.

No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

 

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Section 10.12.

Successors.

All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.

 

Section 10.13.

Severability.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

Section 10.14.

Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.

The Table of Contents, Cross Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

 

Section 10.15.

Securities in a Foreign Currency.

Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in more than one currency, then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be determined by converting any such other currency into a currency that is designated upon issuance of any particular Series of Securities. Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, such conversion shall be at the spot rate for the purchase of the designated currency as published in the The Financial Times in the “Currency Rates” section (or, if The Financial Times is no longer published, or if such information is no longer available in The Financial Times, such source as may be selected in good faith by the Company) on any date of determination. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

All decisions and determinations provided for in the preceding paragraph shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Trustee and all Holders.

 

Section 10.16.

Judgment Currency.

The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series

 

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(the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

 

Section 10.17.

Patriot Act.

The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

 

Section 10.18.

Act of Holders.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section 10.18.

The fact and date of the execution by any person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual

 

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signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to such officer the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than such signer’s individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of such signer’s authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.

The ownership of Securities of any Series shall be proved by the Holder list maintained under Section 2.6 hereunder.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of Securities of any Series shall bind every future Holder of the same Securities and the holder of each Securities of any Series issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Securities.

If the Company shall solicit from the Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of outstanding Securities of any Series have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the outstanding Securities of such Series shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.

The Depositary, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under this Indenture.

 

Section 10.19.

Waiver of Jury Trial.

EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OF ANY SERIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

Section 10.20.

Force Majeure.

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war

 

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or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

ARTICLE XI.

SINKING FUNDS

 

Section 11.1.

Applicability of Article.

The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series if so provided by the terms of such Securities pursuant to Section 2.2, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of the Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of the Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.

 

Section 11.2.

Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver the outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2) apply as credit the Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officer’s Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting the Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of the Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call the Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order

 

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pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of the Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.

 

Section 11.3.

Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of the Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.

Signature Pages Follow

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO INDENTURE

 

46

Exhibit 5.1

 

March 7, 2014

TransEnterix, Inc.

635 Davis Drive, Suite 300

Morrisville, NC 27713

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to TransEnterix, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, dated as of the date hereof (the “Registration Statement”), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the issuance and/or sale by the Company from time to time of an aggregate of up to $100,000,000 of (i) shares of common stock, par value $0.01 (the “Shares”), (ii) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 (“Preferred Shares”), (iii) senior and/or subordinated debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), (iv) warrants (the “Warrants”) and (v) units comprised of any of the foregoing (the “Units” and, together with the Shares, the Preferred Shares, the Debt Securities and the Warrants, the “Securities”).

In so acting, we have examined originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of (i) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company together with all amendments thereto; (ii) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company; (iii) the Registration Statement; (iv) the prospectus contained within the Registration Statement; and (v) such corporate records, agreements, documents and other instruments, and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company, and have made such inquiries of such officers and representatives, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereinafter set forth.

In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. As to all questions of fact material to this opinion that have not been independently established, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company.

Atlanta  |  Baltimore  |  Bethesda  |  Denver  |  Las Vegas  |  Los Angeles  |  New Jersey  |  New York  |  Philadelphia  |  Phoenix  |

Salt Lake City  |  San Diego  |  Washington, DC  |  Wilmington   |  www.ballardspahr.com

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TransEnterix, Inc.

March 7, 2014

Page 2

 

We have also assumed that (i) the Registration Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto (including any post-effective amendments) will have becomeeffective and comply with all applicable laws and no stop order suspending the Registration Statement’s effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect, in each case, at the time the Securities are offered or issued as contemplated by the Registration Statement, (ii) a prospectus supplement will have been prepared and filed with the Commission describing the Securities offered thereby and will at all relevant times comply with all applicable laws, (iii) the Company has timely filed all necessary reports pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are incorporated into the Registration Statement by reference, (iv) all Securities will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the appropriate prospectus supplement, (v) a definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement and any other necessary agreement with respect to any Securities will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the other party or parties thereto and (vi) any Securities issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Securities being offered or issued will be duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exercise or exchange.

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications stated herein, we are of the opinion that:

1. Shares. Assuming that the issuance and terms of any Shares and the terms of the offering thereof have been duly authorized, when (i) the Company has received the consideration therefore specified in any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Company’s board of directors or any authorized committee thereof, (ii) the consideration for such Shares is at least equal to the aggregate par value of such Shares, (iii) in the case of any Shares to be issued under any Warrants, upon due exercise and delivery of any payment of the exercise price specified in such Warrants, and (iv) in the case of any Shares to be issued upon the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities, Preferred Shares, Warrants and other rights that are exchangeable for or convertible into Shares, due exercise of such exchange or conversion rights in accordance with the terms of the applicable instruments, such Shares (including any Shares that may be issued as part of Units or upon exercise, conversion, exchange or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities) will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

2. Preferred Shares. Assuming that the issuance and terms of any series of Preferred Shares and the terms of the offering thereof have been duly authorized, when (i) a Certificate of Designation fixing and determining the terms of the Preferred Shares has been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and accepted for record, (ii) the Company has received the consideration therefore specified in any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Company’s board of directors or any authorized committee thereof, (iii) the consideration for such Preferred Shares is at least equal to the aggregate par value of such Preferred Shares and (iv) in the case of any Preferred Shares to be issued under any Warrants, upon due exercise and delivery of any payment of the exercise price specified in such Warrants, such Preferred Shares (including any Preferred Shares that may be issued as part of Units or upon exercise, conversion, exchange or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities) will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

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TransEnterix, Inc.

March 7, 2014

Page 3

 

3. Debt Securities. Assuming that the issuance and terms of any Debt Securities and the terms of the offering thereof have been duly authorized, when (i) an indenture filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (an “Indenture”) has been duly executed, authorized and delivered by all parties thereto substantially in the form so filed, and any applicable supplemental indenture relating to such Debt Securities has been duly executed, authorized and delivered by all parties thereto, (ii) the terms of the Debt Securities to be issued under the applicable Indenture and any applicable supplemental indenture and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with such Indenture and any applicable supplemental indenture so as not to violate any applicable law, affect the enforceability of such Debt Securities or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding on the Company, and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, and (iii) the Debt Securities have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with such applicable Indenture and any applicable supplemental indenture and issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with any underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Company’s board of directors or any authorized committee thereof, such Debt Securities (including any Debt Securities that may be issued as part of Units or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities) will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

4. Warrants. Assuming that the issuance and terms of such Warrants and the terms of the offering thereof have been duly authorized, when (i) the Warrant agreement or Warrant agreements relating to such Warrants have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the warrant agent has been appointed by the Company, (ii) the terms of such Warrants have been duly established so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company, and (iii) such Warrants and any certificates representing such Warrants have been duly executed, authenticated, issued, paid for and delivered as contemplated in the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and in accordance with any underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Company’s board of directors or any authorized committee thereof, such Warrants (including any Warrants that may be issued as part of Units or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities) will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

5. Units. Assuming that the issuance and terms of such Units and the terms of the offering thereof have been duly authorized, when (i) the Unit agreement or Unit agreements relating to such Units have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the warrant agent appointed by the Company, (ii) the terms of such Units have been duly established so as not to violate any applicable law, affect the enforceability of such Units or result in a default under or

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TransEnterix, Inc.

March 7, 2014

Page 4

 

breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company, and (iii) such Units have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the applicable Unit agreement and issued, paid for and delivered as contemplated in the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, and any underwriting agreement or purchase agreement approved by the Company’s board of directors or any authorized committee thereof, such Units (including any Units that may be issued upon exercise, conversion, exchange or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities) will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

The opinions expressed above with respect to validity, binding effect and enforceability are subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity) and except that rights to indemnification and contribution thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws or public policy relating thereto. The opinions are also subject to (i) the Registration Statement becoming effective pursuant to applicable law and (ii) the issuance of any legally required consents, approvals, authorizations or orders of the Commission and any other regulatory authority.

The opinions expressed herein are limited to the laws of the State of Delaware and the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to the effect on the matters covered by this letter of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

We hereby consent to the use of this letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to any and all references to our firm in the prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement.

 

Sincerely yours,

/s/ Ballard Spahr LLP

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

TransEnterix, Inc.

Morrisville, North Carolina

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement of our report dated March 5, 2014, relating to the consolidated financial statements of TransEnterix, Inc. appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. Our report contains an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

We also consent to the reference to us under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.

 

/s/ BDO USA, LLP

BDO USA, LLP

Raleigh, North Carolina

March 7, 2014